Fallen
by Mags62
Summary: Star Wars/SWTOR: KotFE- Miriah promised to love Corso all of her life, but when she disappeared, everything changed
1. Chapter 1

Corso leaned back into the porch swing, the shadows of dusk falling over him. When he missed her the most, this is where he found himself, time and again. He set it in motion, and closed his eyes. He could hear his daughter inside, chatting with the C2 unit. He should go and play with her, but he just couldn't drag himself up. He'd been up with her twice last night, the nightmares infrequent now but no less intense. He figured it was because the anniversary of her mother's disappearance was close.

Miriah. Their whole world had been built around her. Calypso had been five years old when her mother's ship was found, drifting in space, empty. He sighed, trying to resist the memories. He stood and looked out over the ranch before going inside. Five years ago, this week, his world had crashed, and nothing had been the same since.

Devin was in a camp on Tatooine, doing research on the sand people there. He felt his father's despair and sighed. He missed her, too, he thought. Never more than around this time, but always there, in the back of his mind. When the Dreamweaver was found, looted and bloody, he'd lost himself for a time. He had thought he could still feel her, somehow, but they never found any trace of her. There were scorches of plasma fire and her shotgun was shattered, lying in the hallway to the bridge. If he closed his eyes, he could see the wreckage of the interior of her beloved ship. He allowed himself to feel the grief and longing for his mother for a few minutes before closing that mental door, pulling the mask of Jedi over himself. He'd be on Dantooine tomorrow.

Logan was aboard his ship, both excited and sad. He was taking his fiancé to meet his family, but knew the one he really wanted to be there was no more. His time as a sniper had been rewarding, but he would give it all up to have his mother back. He'd felt guilt, too. She had taken him to Ord Mantell, where his first post was, instead of him going on the troop transport. She'd wanted to have a couple of days with him before he was so busy with his military career. She'd taught him all she knew of flying years ago, but he cherished those last days with her, the laughter and the tears. It was on her return trip that she'd been lost. He turned and tried to smile at Elara, but he knew it was halfhearted at best. Tomorrow, I'll be home, he thought.

Corso helped Calypso with a school project and then sent her to bed. She was a smart girl, always wanted to be the best at anything she attempted. He stood in the middle of their room, his room now. Sometimes, if he just let his mind go, he could almost feel her presence, but tonight all he could feel was the overwhelming grief. So many times, he'd wanted to give up, just let go and be with her wherever she was now. The thought of the kids, and how much she would have wanted him to make sure they grew up safe and healthy, kept him from eating a plasma round on more nights than he would have liked to admit.

He wandered around the house, picking up a book here and shoes there, unable to settle. He finally went out to the porch swing again. He'd pretty much stopped working with Advantages when he'd lost Miriah, and the ranch was pretty easily run these days. That first year without her, he'd just been on auto pilot, losing whole days sitting in the dark, unable to move. He'd stopped eating, and almost stopped talking. He thought again of the day Aric had confronted him and made him see that the kids had lost both their parents that day, and that they needed him. She'd been gone one year and two days at that point, and he'd lost almost a hundred pounds. Aric had made him look at himself in the mirror and it was then that he realized he wished he'd died with her. He never told anyone that, but it had to be obvious. He'd gone out to where the boys had been watching their sister, and with tears, told them all how sorry he was and that he was going to try to go on. Go on, he laughed to himself. Yeah, right. All that's changed is that I'm trying to be a part of their lives. I'll never let go of missing her. He sat heavily, silent tears rolling down his face. Miriah, darlin' I miss you, I wish you were here, he thought. I need you so much, and want to just hold you one more time. He cried without sound until he was exhausted, and finally fell asleep, in the place where he had loved to sit with her.

By dawn, he was stiff and sore, and his eyes were still swollen. Before anyone else got up, he walked up the hill above the farm house, to the lone marker that he'd placed under a tree. He knelt in the abundant flowers that he'd planted there. It was the only place he had left, the only tangible reminder of her. He bowed his head and remembered. The first time she'd strutted down the ramp of her ship on Ord, the kindness in her eyes when he introduced himself. The mad scramble to find her ship that had been stolen, and his blaster. He wiped his eyes, but didn't stand. He thought of that first year, when she was afraid to love, him or anyone. The relief when she said she'd let him court her, and the joy when they'd married. The many missions and crew members they'd had, and then the family. Seeing Devin brought into the world, then Logan. Oricon, where they'd found and adopted Calypso. All the years they'd spent living and loving each other. Time became nonexistent as he went through his memories. Miriah happy, sad, angry and passionate.

By noon, the family had gathered at the farm house, but Corso paid no attention. The sisters were wistful, and Sarai tried to keep Calypso entertained. When Logan and Devin arrived within minutes of each other, there were loud cheers and exclamations of happiness, but none reached their father, who had draped himself over the headstone. When Devin asked his aunt Magdalane with the force, she merely inclined her head to the hill.

Logan was introducing Elara when Devin walked over to him. No words were needed, and they went together up the hill. The stood on either side of Corso, putting their hands on his shaking shoulders, offering the only comfort they could. After a bit Corso stood and hugged each of his sons, and they talked softly for a few minutes.

"Dad, I've brought Elara home," Logan told him, getting a ghost of a smile. "Come on down, everyone's here."

"I will, son, in a bit," he replied, before again going to his knees. Logan and Devin looked at each other over his bent head, and slowly made their way down the hill. Corso stayed there until nightfall, falling into an exhausted sleep, stretched out on what would have been his beloved wife's grave if they'd found a body.


	2. Chapter 2

Devin stared into the darkness. He knew his father was not in danger, but he wanted him inside the house, warm and resting in his bed. He sighed. How was he going to be able to explain that he was staying on Dantooine? That the Republic didn't exist anymore? He reached out with the force and satisfied himself that Calypso was asleep, and a smile creeped over his face. She's so much like Mom, he thought, strong willed but usually right, with just the right amount of sass. It must bring back memories for Dad, he thought. I sure wish he'd come in.

Logan and Elara had taken the guest house, and were settled in. "Did you call your mom, let her know we arrived?" he asked.

Elara sat next to him and handed him a steaming mug. "Caffa, strong and black. I have a feeling you will need it. Yes, she said to give her love to the family." Her mother had once been the Havoc Squad medic when Uncle Aric and Aunt Maura were in. Logan had met his future bride at the Academy, but had only been dating her for about a year now. She never met Mom, he thought. They fell silent then, Logan sipping his caffa. "I'm going back out there," he said, and Elara only nodded, knowing that he was worried about his father.

Devin met him on the path, and silently they walked up the hill for the second time that day. Corso lay near the stone, exhaustion having overtaken him. "I can lift him if you'll steady him," Devin said in a soft voice. Logan nodded and Devin's force aura flared, lifting his dad and floating him down to the house. Once they reached the deck, they guided him to his room. When they'd taken off his boots and left him to sleep, they sat together at the work table in the large kitchen.

"It's almost too hard to be in this room," Logan said, blinking rapidly.

"I know," Devin agreed. "I expect Mom to pull out those huge bags of cookies." The memory made them both smile wistfully. "So, what are you going to do now, Lo? I hear the last squadrons have been dismantled."

Logan nodded. "That's why we came here. I want to be here, on the ranch. I think Mom would want us here, and I think Dad needs us. Elara and I want to be married here, and if you want the guest house, I'll buy some land nearby and build. But I, I mean we, are staying." He took a deep breath, wondering how this might play out, but was surprised when Devin just grinned at him.

"You were always meant to be here, it was always your favorite place," Devin chuckled.

"What about you? I know the Jedi will always stand, but not as we always knew them." Logan saw the fatigue in his brother's face.

"I am staying here as well. I can work with the temple here, to try and maintain at least some semblance of our Order. As I understand things, Dantooine and Tatooine are considered allied planets, along with a few smaller worlds. I know Dad's still raking in the creds on the livestock, so no worries there." He looked around the house that he could see, noting that not much had changed in the past few years. "I'll stay in this house. I want to make sure Dad is eating. He looks like he's aged so much since I saw him last." Logan nodded his agreement.

"Nana says he spends a lot of time when Calypso is in school out in the fields, and comes in when she comes home, but the nights are pretty tough for him." Logan had to struggle to swallow around the sudden lump in his throat. "I miss her, Dev, like I'd miss breathing. It hurts, still after all this time, it physically hurts." Devin hugged his brother and felt the tears the younger man had been valiantly holding in, and felt his own eyes sting. They were sitting there, arms around each other, when they heard Calypso scream.

Devin ran down the hallway, Logan on his heels, but Corso got to the young girl first. "S'ok, sweetie, I know. Shhh, it's okay, I'm here." After a few minutes, Calypso was quiet and sleeping again, but Corso had just noticed his sons. He motioned for them to follow him out, and they went into the family room, Corso stretching out in the recliner, the boys choosing chairs close to him. "I'm guessing that I have you two to thank for waking up in a soft bed," he said, his smile genuine.

Devin nodded. "Dad, we have a lot to talk about, but I know you're tired. Don't you want to try to sleep a little more? I'll listen for Calypso." Corso shook his head.

"She's feeling my stress, and you've both been traveling all day. Go, rest. We'll talk tomorrow," he told them. Logan rose and hugged his dad, unwilling to let go.

"Love you, Dad," he said.

"Love you too, son. See you in the morning. I'll cook breakfast." Logan smiled and left, feeling a little better than when he'd gone in.

Devin watched his father's face. He'd always known when his dad was slipping into the dark thoughts he'd had years ago, and he could see again the longing to be with his mom. "Dad, I'm here. Not going anywhere."

Corso took his oldest son's hand in his, and the force glimmered over them both. Corso's eyes slowly shut, and Devin was able to relax, his hand still in his father's, rough against youth.

Corso slept deeper than he had been able to manage in a long time. He dreamed of Miriah, of the long ebony fall of hair down her back, her unusual silver eyes, and it was so vivid he could almost touch her. He startled awake, and sat back, the reality crashing in on him. He was trying to pull himself together when he heard her voice in his head, something he hadn't heard in so long he almost jumped out of his chair. _You know I'm always with you, sugar. I'm your heart. You told me that once, long ago. I'm still there._ Corso looked over at Devin but the only one who would have been able to put that thought in his head was sleeping deeply. Corso shook his head, but settled back in his chair, hoping to hear her again.

Aric had sent Maura to bed much earlier, but he was still trying to figure out what to do next. With Colin's unit deactivated, he was coming home next week. Calleigh was a doctor now, and working on Carrick Station. It was still operational, but with the Republic gone, he feared for her safety and had sent her a message to come home, too. He was still waiting to hear from her. Maura had worried about them all, and Coleen had done her best to keep her mother's spirits up. Aric was worried about his old friend, too. Corso looked about ready to drop, he thought. I miss Spitfire too, and I know Maura mourns her daily. He shook his furry head, almost totally grey now. I don't think I would be able to get past it either, if I lost Maura, he decided. He looked one more time out of the kitchen window, at the new dwelling he and Felix had started a couple of weeks ago, for Colin.

Magdalane was restless, the force signatures of her family troubling. The worry wasn't a new one, but it seemed closer tonight, she thought. Devin James Riggs, she thought, and smiled. The One. He was safe here, as long as the forces who had decimated the Empire and the Republic were not aware of him. She was glad he was with his father. Corso has been through enough, she thought. Ian would be home soon, she figured, even though he hadn't told her anything. Wherever Devin is, Ian is not far behind, she mused. Michi was with her husband in the little house they'd bought closer to town, and was happy. She finally crawled into bed, Felix pulling her close, and slept.

Corso woke to the sounds of his family in the kitchen. He rose and made his way to the shower, remembering Miriah's voice in his head last night. They'd been trying to protect their home and Devin when he was only a toddler, and she hadn't understood his overprotectiveness. He'd told her then she was his heart, he was only protecting his heart. The memory made him smile. Miriah was always gorgeous, but mad? She was stunning when she was mad. He chuckled to himself, it had been a long time since he'd been able to think of her and not collapse under the grief. The hot shower eased his sore muscles, and though he always felt tired these days, he at least felt better than yesterday. Having the boys near did help, he admitted to himself. He went into the kitchen and was greeted by the kids, Calypso done with school for a few months.

Devin smiled at his father, and breathed a little easier. His dad looked like his dad today, as he hugged his daughter and clapped Logan's shoulder. Logan introduced him to Elara, and Corso smiled, ignoring her outstretched hand to hug her gently. Calypso was happy, with her brothers home, and her dad seeming more normal than usual today. They sat down and ate, and though Corso ate little, he was at least there with them. Aric and Maura came in, and more food was passed around. When they could eat no more, Calypso and Maura cleaned up as Aric, Corso, Devin and Logan made their way to the back deck.

"So, boys, what's the plan?" Aric asked. It felt good to be with them, and to see Corso engaged with life today, he thought.

"I am moving here, Uncl e Aric. Ian will be here soon as well. We'll work at the temple here, to try and salvage what we can of the Order, until our forces can be gathered again." Devin looked different without the heavy robe he usually wore, but even casually dressed, his lightsaber was on his belt. "Things are not good out there. There are random attacks, and no one can say if they're simply looters or organized troops. Out here, away from the core worlds, each planet has formed its own militia, its own government. We'll be ready for whatever develops, but I know without a doubt my place is here."

Logan agreed. "With the Republic military in chaos, my unit was disbanded. Elara's enlistment was up, and we saw it as a sign to come back to where we could start a life. Dad always said when we wanted to come home, we always had a place." Corso nodded, encouraging his son to continue. "Colin is on his way, too, we saw him on Coruscant, or what's left of Coruscant." Aric nodded, he would be glad to have the family back on the same planet. "What will you do, now that you aren't planning military operations?" Logan asked.

Aric laughed. "We're fine. We've banked so many credits over the years, we don't have any worries. Corso, you too, right?" Corso nodded, even before he'd lost Miriah they had more than they'd ever spend, and the ranch continued to thrive. "We'll help out here. Felix and I started building a house for Colin, and we're trying to get Calleigh home, too."

"Dr. Jorgan," Maura said, joining them. "She likes to hear that." They laughed, and Corso realized that he hadn't felt this strong in five years. Calypso followed her aunt outside and it hit him, hard. Her eyes, Corso thought, so much like Miriah's. She reminds me, every single day, of her mom. His emotions warred inside, the promise of hope against the longing for his wife. Most days, the longing won. Maybe today, he thought, the hope will.


	3. Chapter 3

Magdalane pulled her small speeder up to her mother's cottage, her eyes enjoying the feast of colorful flowers that surrounded it. She'd gone to see Michi and brought some fresh vegetables that she knew Sarai would enjoy. She felt the waves of a deep meditation and almost left again, but decided to put the bags on her mother's kitchen counter. She'll know I brought them, Mags figured. As she turned to leave the house, she felt her mother call to her, and joined Sarai in her darkened family room.

 _Thank you, dear,_ Sarai told her through the force. _Come, join me. I've felt….something, but now I can't find it again._

 _What did you feel, Mom?_ Magdalane was curious, her mother rarely wanted company when she was deep in the force.

I' _m not sure if it was a residual memory, or wishful thinking, or just plain imagination. Just.. see if you can feel anything, anyone, with me._ They knelt, knees almost touching, and their combined force aura flared brightly. Magdalane was immediately relaxed, the force always took her stress away. The warmth and the company made her thoughts settle and she opened herself up to the power. She was immediately aware of her family and what they were doing, where they were. Felix and Aric and Corso working on Colin's house. Maura and Coleen with Elara, in Miriah's kitchen. She expanded her focus and was visualizing the space around the planet itself when something flared, only for a moment, in her consciousness. She lost it and settled her mind to see if she could coax it forward again, to no avail. After almost an hour of searching, she pulled out of the trance, seeing that her mother was already out and waiting for her.

"So am I finally senile?" Sarai asked, stretching her aching legs.

"No, there was something, very quickly gone. What do you think it was?" Mags asked. Her mother seemed agitated, she thought, and her thoughts went to her youngest sister. "You think it was Miriah, don't you?" Mags was incredulous. "Mom, it couldn't have been. She's gone. You know that, and to get anyone's hopes up would be cruel."

Sarai snapped her head around to glare at her daughter. "I do know that, which is why I wanted you to see what you thought. Like I said, it could just be a memory." Magdalane thought about it and realized that it most likely was just that, but she also realized that this anniversary, this week, would cause some unusual things.

"Mom, I'm sorry. Even though she's been gone a long time, there is something more final about a five year mark." She rose and put her arms around Sarai. "My stars, I miss her every single day. And as much as I'd love to think that she's still out there, somewhere, I know in my heart that if she were, she'd be back here already." Sarai nodded, and Magdalane felt the tears she'd been holding back. "If I could just bring her back, just for one day, for Corso…" She didn't finish the thought. They had all worried about him for a long time, and she had hope that having the boys back on the planet would begin to bring him out of the deep depression he'd been in for so long. That first year, he almost willed himself to die, just to be with her, she thought.

Sarai patted her arm. "We'd best put this nonsense away. Devin will sense it, probably already has, and Corso just can't take any more disappointment." Magdalane agreed, and Sarai watched as her oldest left, her heart aching for her family.

Aric and Corso saw Maura drive up from the ranch house to see how the construction was going. "Hey guys, brought some cold drinks for you." Aric pulled her to him for a soft kiss and took the cold water bottle with his other hand.

"Excellent," he told her, tossing another bottle to his brother in law. "It's gotten a bit hot out here. We've got the roof finished, though, and power and water done. It's almost ready for you do your decorating thing," he told her, watching as Corso sipped at his water. "Cor, you need to drink all of that and one more, you worry me when you don't take care of yourself." Maura watched the two under her lashes. Aric treats him as a brother, and Corso feels the same, she thought.

"I will," Corso assured them. "I can't wait to see Colin. And what do you think of Elara? Never thought her mother would let her go military, but they seem happy, right?"

"They do," Maura said. "I was just down there helping cook, and she is so much like our Elara. Logan is thoroughly smitten, too." Corso smiled, Miriah would be so happy to see her sons settled. The pain was dull and achy around his heart. It never went away, but some days, like today, it hid until it could get in a sneak attack. He stood, took the empty bottle to the recycle bin, and grabbed another.

"Did you want to keep going, Aric? Or wait until tomorrow for the interior walls?" he asked.

"Let's stop here. I think a shower and a quick nap are in order," the Cathar said, with a wink for his wife. Corso stood to pick up around the site and put tools away, and waved as he left. Aric watched him for a moment, his arm around Maura. "It was a good day, until he thought about Miriah right there at the end."

Maura sighed, she knew he was having a tough week, and her heart went out to him. "They say time heals these wounds, but I honestly am not sure he will ever be free." They walked to their house, over the small rise, each wondering how they'd go on without the other, and hoping they never had to know.

Corso walked onto the deck and stopped cold. The notes of the music that Miriah always loved to listen to while she was cooking wafted from the house, each note hitting him like a stone. He was instantly transported to the memory of holding her in his arms, dancing around the kitchen, her lithe form graceful. He closed his eyes and stood still, barely breathing.

Logan was talking to Elara, Devin sitting next to the fireplace, when he saw his father on the deck. He looked at Devin, who'd felt the emotional shift, and out again. Tears streamed down the weathered, scarred skin of his father's face. Elara saw what they were looking at, and turned to Logan, ashen faced. "What?" she asked, her hand over her mouth.

"It's the music," Devin explained. "They danced all the time here, I'd forgotten about it since it seemed so natural here." He was about to go out to his dad when Calypso rounded the corner of the house. She saw that her father was upset and walked to him, taking his rough hand in her own small one. They exchanged a few words, and she led him into the house. Corso bypassed the kitchen, where the music had been muted, and went to his room. Calypso joined her brothers in the kitchen. "What did you say to him?" he asked.

Calypso shrugged. "I just told him we were all here, and we loved him." She took a cookie off the nearby tray. "Wow, Elara, these are amazing."

Elara blushed. "I used the recipe here in the drawer," she said, pulling a book from a side drawer.

"I had no idea that she ever wrote any of these down," Logan said, his eyes wide with wonder.

"She had started that when Calypso was a baby," Corso said. "I didn't know how much she'd gotten done, but by the looks of that book, more than I thought." His voice was subdued when he turned to Elara. "Thank you, for knowing that we have to move through things. It's been long enough to go without music," he told her. "Music was Miriah's blood, she loved all kinds. I loved dancing with her to anything she wanted to listen to. She played music for the boys all the time." Logan nodded, and Devin smiled, remembering all the times Miriah would use music to set the mood, making even rainy days more fun. Elara gave a wavering smile, and sat beside Logan.

"Now," Corso said, "what can I do to help here?" They all pitched in and shortly food was on the work table, their favorite place to eat. The conversation was light, and Logan and Elara shared stories of their missions. Devin got their attention when he asked about the wedding.

"I need to go into town and ask the magistrate about officiating," Logan told them, holding Elara's hand. "If it's okay, Dad, I'd like to get married here."

"Of course it's okay, son, but I have a better idea. After dinner, take a ride to your Nana's house and see her gardens. If you still want it here, you're more than welcome, but I'd think all her flowers might be a prettier setting." They nodded agreement, and left shortly. Devin and Calypso worked to clean the kitchen.

Devin saw that Calypso looked sad. "Cal, what's up? How are things around here, when it's just you and Dad?"

"It's fine, I guess. He helps me with school stuff, I go help in the barns some on the weekends. We watch the holo, but I think he just has it on. He spends a lot of time not talking, and I've gotten used to it, but I miss him, you know, the old Dad." He nodded, he had figured Corso was basically a shadow of himself. "I miss Mama, too, Dev. I do, I just feel like everything stood still since that day." The last part she whispered, ashamed that she felt a little angry and a lot sad. Devin knew the emotions she was going through.

When the ship had been found, Devin was angry. So angry! He had destroyed rocks, torn down things in his sparse room on Tython, a feat for which Shan had never taken him to task. He'd disappeared, raging in the desert on Tatooine. After a month, he'd sat in a cave on Alderaan, venturing out only to sip water and relieve himself, his self-imposed punishment for not having seen what was to happen in the force. He'd raged and railed, called upon Revan himself for an explanation. After a year, he'd accepted that the force now had another spirit and tried to move forward. When he'd again shown up on Tython, he'd been taken in to the infirmary and treated. While he was there, Grandmaster Satele Shan had visited, late one evening. Her words of wisdom touched him, and he used them to get through every single day since. Shan had told him that Miriah was part of the force, a very smart, funny, part that worked hard, played hard, and loved with all she was. She would always be with him.

He'd tried, so many times, to find her in the force, just to feel her presence one more time, to no avail. Every so often, he tried again. He'd felt his aunt and grandmother attempting to do just that earlier today. He sighed and patted Calypso's shoulder. "She wouldn't want you to stop living, Cal. Just know that Dad is coping the best he can. Logan and I are going to be here now, so we can maybe help him, give him something else to think about." She nodded, and went to her room to read.

After some time in the porch swing, where Devin joined him for a bit, Corso went into his bedroom. He sat heavily on the bed, tired, but not knowing if he'd be able to sleep or not. He put on sleep clothes and tried to get comfortable. He was lying on his side, looking at the flimsy on the nightstand of them together, taken on the day of Akaavi's wedding. Miriah wore a white, beaded gown, her hair put up and her smile bright. He stood just behind her, his arms around her waist, his head resting on her shoulder. Oh, Mir, he thought. If I'd had any idea that last day would be THE last day, I'd have let every beast on the ranch run free and been with you on that ship. He sighed, feeling the siren call of sleep to ease his heart. He felt his eyes closing. Soon he was dreaming, her body close to his, his hands buried in her hair, his lips on hers, feeling the electricity that always coursed through him at her touch. Somewhere in his mind, he knew this was a dream. He begged her not to go, to stay with him and let him be with her wherever she was.

She smiled, sadness in her eyes. She kissed his nose, and whispered, and he didn't catch what she said. He watched as she faded and disappeared, and woke in a sweat, shaking. He got up, knowing sleep was done for him, and resumed his place in the swing. He thought through the dream, his arms aching for her. What was it that she'd said, just before she disappeared? He tried and tried to remember, to figure it out.

Just before dawn, it finally came to his tired mind. Even though it was a dream, Miriah had left him a message. He just wasn't sure if it was his own need or if it was a wish, but the one word she said gave him a hope he hadn't had for a long time.

"Soon" she whispered before she'd left. Soon. He sighed, and stood to get ready for another day.


	4. Chapter 4

The wedding was held at twilight in Sarai's garden, the heady scents of the flowers adding to the ambiance of the event. Logan had smiled so hard his cheeks hurt, and Elara's mother had cried. It had been a week since they'd landed, and already their life was coming together.

Corso watched as his son danced with his bride, and he felt tense, angry. Why, he thought. Why did Miriah have to miss this? She always wanted the kids to just be themselves, and be happy. Why didn't I do more to try to bring her killer to justice? He became more agitated as he paced at the edge of the garden flagstones.

Devin felt his emotions, knew what was so clearly in his mind by the look on his face, and stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Dad, we did search, we did try. You did everything you could to find Mom. Now, you have to let her go."

Corso snatched his arm away, his nostrils flaring with anger. His voice was a deep growl. "I didn't make anyone pay for taking her away! And if I live to be a thousand years old, I'll never let go of her, not ever!" He moved away, hoping that Logan hadn't noticed. He glanced back over his shoulder to see his youngest son holding his new wife close, the family cheering and clapping for them. Immediately the anger left him, and was replaced by defeat. He made his way to Logan and hugged them both, telling Logan how proud he was of him, and that he already had his work schedule set at the ranch. That statement made them all laugh, and Corso faded away, to the chairs on the back of the house. Sometimes, he thought, I can be a complete ass. Aric approached him with a glass, and handed him the strong smelling whiskey.

"Thought this might help some," he told his friend. "I know the memories must be catching up to you today." Corso nodded, and sipped his drink.

"I think I'm finally losing my mind," Corso admitted to Aric. Aric sat silently for a minute before replying.

"I think I'd have already gone mad if I had been in your place." They sat there for the better part of an hour, watching the family celebrate. Felix brought a bottle, refilled their glasses, and joined the two in the cluster of chairs.

"To family," Felix said, and they touched glasses before drinking. "Let's go get some food, before this alcohol takes over." Aric and Felix stood, but Corso remained seated.

"You guys go ahead, I'm not hungry," Corso said, even though he hadn't eaten since the evening before. It was a form of control, he'd read, when so much was out of his control. He shrugged, not really caring about himself.

"But Logan and Elara will notice, Cor," Felix said, and held out his hand. When he pulled the tall Mantellian up from his sitting position, he wrapped his arms around him in a hug. "Come on. Whether we want it to or not, life does keep marching on." Aric and Felix on either side, Corso approached the large spread of food that Sarai had made. He put a few things on his plate, and Calypso danced up to him. When he wasn't looking, she added to his plate, and when he sat down to eat, he had far more food than he wanted.

"You are getting thin again, Dad," Calypso chastised. "We'll have to go clothes shopping if you lose any more." That got them laughing again, and Corso even smiled. His distaste for shopping was well known. He looked around the group, and knew without a doubt that his family loved him. He hated that it wasn't enough to quench the longing in his soul.

Morning brought another day, another full schedule on the ranch. Logan and Elara had gone to the inn in town last night, and were going to spend a few days on the beach several towns over. He looked out over the property, the gently rolling green hills dotted with ronto and bantha. He stretched his arms over his head, feeling the creaking of his joints, and walked slowly to the second barn, ready for the work to numb his mind and tire his body. He worked silently, alone with the animals, who demanded nothing more than food and water. When he was finished for the day, he saw that the sun was low in the sky, and rubbed his face. At least when I'm alone, he thought, I can't hurt anyone else with my anger or sadness. He trudged to the house, a good ten minute walk, his feet heavy.

Devin had spent his day with Calypso, learning about the sister who had grown up while he was off being a Jedi. She was a delight, he thought. He saw things that she said and did that reminded him of his mother, and they made him grin. They'd talked about how things had been, and moved into favorite memories. "My favorite memory is of Mom lying with me at night, before I'd go to sleep. She'd tell me stories of when she was a smuggler, and flying the Stardancer." Devin was taken back in time with that one statement, to the days he remembered her lying on the floor between his and Logan's bed, talking about how she'd made her living before meeting their dad, and some even after.

"She could tell the best stories," Devin said, his voice wistful.

"How much was real and how much did she make up to entertain us?" Calypso asked. Devin laughed out loud.

"Believe it or not, most of what she told you about is in the Republic history books, if there are any left after the attack on Coruscant. Mom and Dad both were genuine heroes." They were both silent, the news of the pillaging of the Republic homeworld was devastating. They made plans to cook, and enjoyed each other's company. By sunset, Devin was looking forward to seeing his father.

"Dad, Devin and I made dinner," Calypso said as Corso shut the door behind him, her eyes shining. He hugged her and kissed her forehead.

"Let me go clean up, sweetie. I'll be right there," he told her. He could tell from the scents that she had attempted one of Miriah's recipes. It's been a good day, he thought. Now, if I can just stay positive through dinner. He showered and they met at the table, the food good and conversation warm. After they'd all cleaned up, they went out to the porch, their favorite meeting spot. It was only after Calypso had gone to bed that Devin approached the subject he'd been thinking on since that morning.

"Dad, have you been having any hallucinations or any vivid dreams?" he asked.

Corso blushed, he was reluctant to talk about any of the dreams or voices, afraid he'd be admitting his loose grip on sanity. He looked across the yard at the hill where Miriah's marker stood in the moonlight. "Some," he finally admitted.

"More recently or years ago?"

"I don't know, both, I guess. Why?"

Devin stood and looked out over the railing. "I want to try, once more, to get some answers. I know it's a long shot, but I want you to find some happiness, Dad. Mom would want you to be happy."

"Happiness? Do you mean that you think I should date, replace your mother?" Corso laughed, but there was no humor in it. "There's no possible way. There were women who showed up here, a year or so after, not sure if they came on their own or someone sent them here," he said, shaking his head. "I never felt anything. Not even friendship. Not going to happen, son." He pushed the swing with his foot. "How can I give my heart again when I don't have it? It died with her, Devin. I love you kids, but no one will ever replace Miriah." They fell silent, both thinking, before Devin's voice sliced though Corso's thoughts.

"I need you, Dad," Devin said, his voice catching on his words. "I need the solid, loving family that we've always had. It's what fuels me. I always had confidence in everything I did, because the love I knew I had in you guys was my rock." He finally turned scared eyes to his father. "I've failed you all, because I didn't see what was coming. It's my fault, and now I feel guilty, every single day." He sat beside his father on the swing. "I am so proud of Logan, he's done what he was meant to do. Calypso is going to be amazing. I feel like I've failed, and I feel adrift without the Order. Without a purpose."

Corso put his arm around the broad shoulders of his grown son. "Dev, you did nothing wrong. We couldn't have known what was going to happen, not even a Jedi would have known. If a Jedi could have seen it, shouldn't Mags or Sarai have known?" He rubbed his son's back, as he had when the boy was an infant. "I know change is hard, son, believe me, I know. I will always be here for you, Dev."

"No, you won't, not if you don't take care of yourself," Devin cried. "I might have failed Mom, but I will not lose you, Dad." They sat there, hugging, for several minutes before they sat back.

"If you'll remind me when you see me drifting into the abyss," Corso said, "then I'll do whatever I can to come out of it. You have always been your mother's champion, Dev, even when you were just a baby. She would hate to think that you felt responsible, I know that much. We are all here to help you, son. I know that your mission has changed, too."

"I'm sorry to dump all this on you, Dad, but we all need you. Please, let me help you regain your strength and maybe things will be better. One more search, that's all I ask." Corso nodded, and they stood to go back inside.

Once Corso was in bed, he again stared at the photo on the bedside table. Miriah, he said to himself, I just don't know what to do. My inability to move on is hurting the kids. Tell me, how do I move on from this? I think I'm doing better, and then I fall back. I cannot let you go, it's not within me to do that. He was lying there with his eyes closed, when a warm sensation wrapped over him. He felt his body relax, and within a few seconds he was asleep.

Devin glimmered in the moonlight, his force aura fading around him. He fell to his knees then, and entered a trance. Just once more, he thought, as he searched beyond himself, beyond the planet even. When he was exhausted, he toppled over on his side, and slept on the floor. His dreams were filled with his mother, and tears leaked down his face.


	5. Chapter 5

Corso stood under the blasting cold water, embarrassed. Of all the so-called side effects of being a widower, the phenomenon of waking after a very vivid dream of his wife- and the ensuing physical changes that those memories brought on- was just downright painful, both physically and mentally. Not to mention the fact that my force sensitive son is in the house, and probably not used to blocking anyone since he's been gone so long, he thought, sighing. He leaned against the wall, and tried to keep his thoughts away from the images that danced behind his eyelids, the ghost of her lips on his skin, the memory of her throaty laugh echoing in his ears. At least I didn't dream of finding her body, he mused, again. He made his way through the house after dressing, heading to the barn. Instead, he stopped on the deck. Devin wants to do one more search, he remembered, and sat on a deck chair. He knew his ranch hands could more than handle the work, and for the first time in a long time, he wanted to be here with his family. Devin found him there when he woke, gazing out over the purple streaks of sunrise.

Devin had watched his father for a few moments before joining him outside. He'd known his father was embarrassed about something. Rather than make it worse, he chose to ignore the emotions of the morning and brought a fresh cup of caffa for them both. "Morning, Dad," he said, his tone light. Corso nodded his thanks to his son and took the steaming mug.

"I love this part of the day," Corso said. "Before promise and hope fade into the blaze of the noonday sun." They sat in companionable silence, enjoying the quiet and the caffa. Their reverie was broken by the sound of a speeder. Devin raised his eyebrows.

"Aunt Mags," he said, rising to his six foot height and stretching, his body feeling the night he'd just spent sleeping on the floor. He and his father moved to the front of the house and helped Magdalane off the small speeder. She hugged them both, and led them up to the porch.

"Devin, I have a concern,"she said. Devin nodded and waited for her to continue. "You are safe here, on Dantooine, as long as you don't reveal yourself. I would caution you about your force use." She saw the worry on Corso's face. "I think everything is fine, but I know you've searched for Miriah, because Sarai and I did as well. I just think we'd all be better off if we stay inconspicuous and off anyone's radar." Devin pondered on this while Corso went to get Magdalane a mug of caffa. He handed her the beverage, waiting for Devin to speak.

"I understand, and I hadn't thought of it," Devin admitted. "Dad, is the equipment at Advantages still operational?"

"Sure is, son. I still keep the systems up for them, so I know everything works as it should."

"Can we go get Uncle Aric to meet us there? Maybe we can use your computers to search," Devin said, hope evident in his eyes. He knew Aric would do anything they asked of him.

Corso nodded. "As soon as Calypso is awake, we'll round Aric up."

"Aunt Mags, want to stay and help? You might see something we don't," Devin asked, seeing the surprise in her eyes. "I've missed being around other Jedi, more than I ever thought I would." Mags smiled at her nephew and agreed to stay, pulling her holo out of her pocket to call Felix.

Felix listened to his wife, and agreed it was a valid option. He grabbed the other speeder and joined them. When Calypso appeared, half asleep, on the porch, they let her know what was going on. She waved them off, rubbing her eyes. She knew they had to do this, and she was afraid to get her hopes up of any positive results. She'd stay in the background, at least for now.

They met Aric at the office, and Devin was astonished to see that it had been closed down for some time, everything coated with a thin layer of dust. He hesitated to say anything, and ended up just keeping quiet. There was enough change lately to deal with. Aric booted his workstation and pulled up a file. "This is what we did right after the ship was found," he told Devin, the somberness of the work reflected in his tone. "Not much there, I'm afraid. I always felt like, I don't know, like I failed you all. I was so shaken by the idea of Spitfire not being on board, I know I made some mistakes in the search. When I wanted to dig deeper, I saw how much it hurt you, Corso." He turned worried eyes to his brother in law. "I really, really don't want to ever hurt you, any of you." He stood and let Devin sit to review the file, and went to the small kitchen to put a pot of caffa on. Corso joined him there.

"I just want you to know, Aric, how much I appreciate your concern. I wouldn't be here at all without you pulling me out of the worst of the depression." Corso took the offered cup and sat with Aric.

"It's never been the same here, without her," Aric said. "Maura doesn't even come here anymore. The last time she was here, she went into Miriah's office and saw the pictures of the kids, the personal items she kept on her desk." He nodded in the general direction of Miriah's office. "She just fell apart, and she hasn't set foot in here since." He looked out at where Mags, Felix and Devin read. "I miss her, too."

Corso was struggling to keep the darkness away, and Devin looked up, trying to find him. When he did, he went to his father and put his hand on his shoulder. "I want to start some searches here, is that okay? I mean, I know you all worked on Republic secrets, and I don't want to compromise that."

Aric laughed, but with little humor. "As I know it, the Republic is no more. Can't compromise something that has ceased to exist." He was still a little confused about how that had all occurred, and with the demise of their information sources, he had no way to monitor the news feeds. All the ones that were still operational were useless.

Devin started several key word and date searches, but he knew it would take some time. He settled back and was chatting with his aunt and uncle, but kept an eye on his dad. When almost an hour had passed, they decided to leave the computers to their work. On the way back to the ranch house, Devin had an idea and swerved his speeder to the left.

Corso saw his son peel away and bit back a groan. The hangar. He's going to the Dreamweaver, Corso thought. Dammit! He followed, and saw as Aric and Felix followed as well. When they stopped outside the huge structure, Corso put his hand on his son's arm.

"Wait, Dev. I haven't…. I mean… I don't," he stammered.

"It's okay, Dad," Devin replied, his tone reassuring. "I know it's been here for a while. I just want to see if I can feel anything." Corso swallowed hard and finally nodded.

Devin keyed in the code to unlock the hanger and watched the doors slowly open. When they stepped inside, father and son had to stop and stare. Before them was the Dreamweaver, but she was far from rusted and dormant. In front of them was Miriah's beloved ship, shining and clean, looking ready to lift skyward. "How," Corso asked, unable to look away.

Felix stepped to Corso's side. "I did it," he said quietly. "I never went inside, but I did the best I could to keep it in working order, and looking like Miriah would want it to look." Corso looked at Felix for a moment, overcome with gratitude.

"I never even thought of it," he said. "Thank you, Felix. It means a lot to me that you would undertake this. I know it couldn't have been easy." They watched as Devin and Magdalane walked around the huge freighter, stopping at intervals to touch the cool exterior of the hull. When they'd made two complete trips around, they stopped at the rest of the group.

"I'm sorry," Devin said, with a sigh. "I just can't feel anything. I have to go inside."

"NO," Corso shouted, and hung his head. "I'm sorry, I can't be here for that." He turned abruptly on his heel and stalked to his speeder, the others watching him with a mixture of pity and sorrow. Devin once again keyed in the security code and watched as the ramp slowly lowered. He gathered himself and slowly made his way up to the entrance, and stopped there. Putting his hand on the door, he tried to feel any residual energy. When nothing surfaced, he touched the switch and the door opened with a faint hiss.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimness, but Devin saw that the interior of the ship was indeed the site of a battle. The lounge area bore scorch marks and dents, the walls blackened in areas. He took a breath and let his mind go. Instantly he was bombarded with images, rapidly changing and chaotic. Magdalane felt the force ripple and rushed to his side, but only watched as her nephew absorbed all that he could from their surroundings. Devin cried out and fell to his knees, holding his head, and Mags knelt beside him.

"You saw things," she said, hesitantly. Devin nodded but couldn't speak for a moment. They stood, and Devin walked back down the ramp, trying to sort through the images.

"It will take me some time to get through it all," he said, and sat at the end of the ramp. He had seen his mother as clearly as if she'd been standing beside him, her silver eyes wide with fear and then narrowing with determination, her blaster in one hand and her shotgun in the other. "She was overpowered," he whispered. "But you know Mom, she'd never just surrender." Felix patted his back.

"Take your time, Dev. What puzzles me is why you didn't feel all this five years ago, when it happened," Felix observed.

"Force images remain but in the immediate aftermath of finding the ship and….everything… it could just be that his focus is more attuned than it was then," Magdalane explained.

"We should go check on Dad," Devin decided, and started to close up the ship and hangar. Felix assisted him, and they made their way to the ranch house.

Corso hit the house and didn't slow until he'd grabbed the bottle of Corellian whiskey from the kitchen. He took it into his room and sat on the floor, between the bed and the wall, and drank deeply. He'd avoided alcohol five years ago, because he was afraid he'd never stop. Today, he knew it didn't matter. The memories were always with him, but with the addition of the whiskey, they assaulted him, and he continued to drink. When the sobbing started, he slumped to the floor, the empty bottle forgotten, immersed in his misery until he finally slept,

Devin knew his dad had checked out, but could find no fault with it. They'd opened long buried reminders, and he'd known his dad would have a hard time with it all. The images, he thought. I saw her fighting, saw the hits she took. Bodies on the floor of the ones who'd boarded the ship, at least two dead there. He went through the images, again and again, searching, but for what? He stayed in his room, his mind going through what he'd seen frame by frame.

Calypso knocked softly on Devin's door. When he didn't answer, she peeked in and saw that he was covered in blinding light and had no idea she was even there. She left him and made herself some food, watched the holo for a bit, and went to bed, never knowing what anyone found. Wasn't the first time I've been left to fend for myself, she thought, probably not the last either.

Devin emerged around midnight, more calm than he'd felt in a very long time. He was rummaging in the cooler when he felt his dad approach. Corso took some things out and motioned for Devin to sit. As the omelets were being made, Devin attempted to speak, but Corso shushed him. When they sat together to eat, Corso finally spoke. "I know you have something you want to tell me, but Dev, I don't know how much I can take." Devin continued to eat for a minute.

"But what if it's not something bad?"

"Did you see her escape? Or find her on some remote planet?" When Devin shook his head negatively, Corso said, "Then how can it not be bad?" They ate in silence, and when they'd finished, Devin followed his father out to the swing. After a long silence, Corso sighed heavily. "Okay, what is it, Dev?"

Devin sat beside his father. "I saw it, Dad. The fight. I saw the boarding party, and I saw Mom fighting for all she was worth." Corso sat there, unable to comment.

"I saw it all, from beginning to finish. I've gone back over and over it. There's only one thing I didn't see." Devin paused to make sure he had his father's full attention. "I never saw her die, Dad."


	6. Chapter 6

Corso sat numb, unable to speak. He turned the thought around and around in his head, but still couldn't really process it. If Miriah didn't die, then where is she? He scrubbed his face with his hands and smelled the whiskey he'd spilled when his shaking hand had missed pouring it into his glass. His head ached and the omelet he'd forced down swam in his suddenly uneasy stomach. Where is she? He finally took a deep breath. "Ok, Dev. What next? 'Cause you know if she were at all able, she would have at least made contact by now." He saw a little of the hope fade from his son's eyes and cursed inwardly. "I mean, what would have made her not be able to let anyone know what was going on, what had happened to her?"

Devin paced the porch, but didn't seem upset. "I always thought that maybe she had somehow gotten out, even five years ago I felt that she was still, for lack of a better explanation, out there." He turned and walked back toward his dad. "There are other explanations. Like a kidnapping," he said.

Corso thought about it. "But if someone wanted a ransom, they would have contacted me, right?" He shook his head. "I just don't know what to think of it yet, son."

"She wouldn't have been able to contact us if she were being held somewhere," Devin said quietly. The thought of his vibrant mother being in a cell made him physically ill, but it was better than her being dead.

Corso thought on that, and slowly nodded. "Okay, Devin. I see where you're going with this. Tomorrow we search prisoner databases and stored Imp files."

"Why wait?" Devin said. "You have access to the computers at the office." He started toward the speeders before he realized his father was still sitting, and turned to see his father's tired face.

"Because we left Calypso all day, and that couldn't have been pleasant for her. We need to make sure she's included or at least occupied, and not by herself."

Devin sighed. He knew his father was right, but it would be hard to sleep at this point for him. He saw that his father was fighting to stay awake, and sat beside him. "Go rest, Dad. I'll be in shortly."

"Set the security when you do," Corso told him, and he nodded.

Corso lay on the bed, his mind whirling. Is she alive, somewhere, being tortured or starved? He swallowed hard, thinking of his beloved suffering. I'm not sure what's worse, he thought. He sighed and turned on his side, pulling Miriah's pillow against his chest. I just want to know, he realized. One way or another. If he concentrated, he could smell her scent still on the pillow, and he buried his face in it, finally surrendering to sleep.

Whiskey fueled dreams hit Corso hard. He could see her walking down the speeder path to the house, her jacket off and her long, ebony hair tossed around by the wind. He was so happy, and ran toward her, only to see as she neared the scars and open wounds all over her body, and the accusing look in her eyes. That one finally startled him awake, and he sat on the side of the bed, his elbows on his knees and his hands in his hair, shaking all over. What if I could have found her, but didn't, and she's spent the last years enduring void knows what, he thought. Even though he'd only slept a handful of hours, he got up and went into the family room. He turned on the holo, lowered the sound, and stretched out in the recliner.

The dream returned the moment he closed his eyes. This time, he ran to her, calling her name. Miriah stopped in the path and waited for him, but when he wrapped his arms around her, she dissolved into dust, and in the dream he fell to his knees, shouting her name. He woke with that shout, and saw Sarai standing before him, concern in her eyes.

"Son, please tell me how to help," she said, her voice soft. "I felt the force rippling around this house, and had to make sure you all were alright. I'm glad I came now." She sat near him, and her force aura gently caressed them both. Corso felt his mind relax and his body start to feel heavy, and as he fell again into sleep he heard Sarai's voice. "Miriah loved you, Corso. Hold onto that," she said.

Sarai went into the kitchen, her daughter's favorite room in the house, and sat at the worktable. It would be hours before Calypso was awake, but Sarai knew that her granddaughter was confused and uneasy about all this searching for Miriah. Devin felt his grandmother and joined her.

"I'm sorry this is causing everyone pain," he told her, his voice soft. "I just feel that until we have some answers, Dad will never be able to get past the grief." Sarai patted his hand and nodded.

"We all need that closure, Devin. Even if it reveals painful information, it couldn't be worse than we've all carried in our minds for the last five years. Go, sleep. You'll need energy for the rest of this," she told him. Devin rose and hugged his grandmother, and went to the family room to sleep, wanting to be near his father. Sarai took her usual guest room, and knew that they would rest for a bit.

Devin lay on the sofa, remembering his mother. Mom always knew how to help me do anything, he thought. She would stay with me at night when I couldn't sleep, and just rub my back. She always made me do things the normal way, not with the force, so that I would know how. He looked over at his father. She loved us all, and she showed us that every day. I took for granted that she'd always be here with me. I will find her, he silently vowed, before closing his eyes. I will.

Corso and Devin made their way to the Advantages office after having breakfast with Calypso and Sarai. The young girl loved being with her grandmother, and they'd made plans to go shopping this afternoon. Corso had been quiet all morning, the reality that he might know soon what had happened to Miriah hitting him. When they reached the office, they found Aric and Felix already there, reading through search results. After greeting the men, Aric held up a sheaf of papers. "There's a lot of items here that mention Miriah's name, but nothing recent."

Corso nodded. "Devin says that maybe we should be checking prison records, or even Hutt transactions for slaves." He almost choked on those words, and saw Aric's eyes widen as he took them in. Felix looked shocked as well.

"I never considered it," Felix said softly. "I should have. Miriah would have been a prize trophy for some of the criminal underworld." He turned immediately to the nearest computer and started entering strings of text, in hopes that something would show up.

"Who else would have had a reason to take her?" Aric asked.

"The only thing I can tell you is that she didn't go willingly, and that she took a few of her attackers out before she just ….disappears out of the frame," Devin said. When Aric and Felix threw him puzzled looks, he explained how he'd seen the fighting, and how at the end of the vision, Miriah had just disappeared. They both had to sit back and think about what Devin had said.

"Well, then, we have to find Spitfire," Aric said, his voice quiet but sure. "Corso, I know you don't want to talk about it, but I need you to tell me what you know of the time they found the ship."

Corso thought for a moment, trying to be exact. "I was in the home office, working, when Calypso came in and said that someone was talking to C2, someone with a blaster. I jumped up and sent her to her room, and went to the door. One of the deputies from town had gotten a holo transmission from a Republic military ship. It was troopers who found the Dreamweaver, and traced the ship's registry. There was no one on board the ship, and the deputy wanted to know if I wanted it towed here." He stood and walked to the window.

"She'd picked up Logan on Courscant, right? And they went to Ord Mantell?" Devin asked. Corso nodded.

"I was in the middle of calving season, and it seemed like a short hop. Calypso would have to miss school, so I told Mir that I'd just stay home with her and see her in a few days." He sat heavily, leaning his head on his hands. "I should have just let someone else handle the ranch. I should have been with her."

"So Calypso would end up an orphan, again?" Aric asked. "Man, you didn't even know it at the time, but you did the right thing."

"I know, Calypso didn't need to lose both of us, but maybe if I'd been with her, it wouldn't have happened." He turned to Felix. "Start on Coruscant, or what's left of it now, and see if you can find the docking records there. It's a starting point, anyway." Felix nodded and turned to a second terminal.

"It's going to take some time to search," Felix said. "Most of the databases are fractured at best, at least on the core worlds."

Devin stood. "Dad, I want to go back to the Dreamweaver. I need you to go with me, and Aunt Mags and Nana, too."

Corso looked at his son, but couldn't speak. He'd avoided the ship, the hangar, everything to do with flying since it had been stowed five years ago, until yesterday. He was trying to form a protest when Devin's face burst into a huge grin.

"Ian is here, too. Excellent, let's all meet down at the hangar in about an hour. Aunt Maura, too," he said, looking at his uncle, who nodded.

The entire family met at the hangar, and Corso saw that Logan and Elara had joined them as well. He moved to hug his youngest son, who looked unsure at the whole gathering. "I know, it's not what you expected, but Dev has felt things here, and he wanted to come back, with those who loved Mom, to see if it would boost any more visions." Logan nodded reluctantly, and held Elara's hand.

Maura strode up to her nephew. "Devin, I brought a scanner. Maybe we can analyze the residue on the ship, see if anything is unusual. Maybe we'll see something that will give us a clue to where the attackers came from." She put her arm around Devin's shoulder and squeezed.

"Thanks, Aunt Maura. That's a really good idea," he told her.

They silently made their way up the ramp, and as before, Devin paused to put his hand on the door. Please, he said to himself, let me find something, anything. He keyed the code and the door slid open.

Corso was at the rear of the group, his mouth dry and his heart beating erratically. He'd refused to go inside before, but he knew he'd have to now. When they were all aboard, the automatic lighting brightened the damage and Sarai gasped.

Devin turned to them all. "Please, everyone, link hands. No matter what, don't let go. Close your eyes, it might be bright in here." When they were all set, Devin opened his mind to the force. Again, the images rushed at him, but they were basically the same as before. When they ended, he was again on his knees, but was supported by the family. Corso helped him up and sat him on the lounge sofa. He looked at his father, saw the naked hope in his eyes, and shook his head. "Nothing more than I saw before," he said. Corso rubbed his shoulder.

"It's okay, son. Maybe that's all there is. We can still keep looking." Devin saw his aunt get the scanner out of her bag and make a quick circle around the room. She nodded at them and one by one, they left the freighter.

Maura took the scanner to the ranch house. "Corso, can I use the computer in your office?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied, hugging Calypso. "Let's get some things together and cook outside for everyone," he told his daughter, who smiled. They got to work, Sarai with them, and everyone pitched in something. Ian and Devin got the fire ready, Magdalane and Elara got the table set, and they'd almost forgotten about Maura until she ran outside, getting everyone's attention.

"Everything I scanned was normal stuff. Plasma, singed hair, residue from the furniture. There's one thing that doesn't fit," she said. "I found something that has no business being on a freighter." They family looked at her in anticipation. "The scanner picked up minute traces of tibanna gas."

Aric is the only one who recognized the compound, and his eyes grew wide as he processed the information. He said only one word, but it changed Corso's world. "Carbonite."


	7. Chapter 7

Corso felt numb, and if it hadn't been for Felix pulling a chair out for him, he'd have fallen. "What are you saying? That Miriah is frozen somewhere?"

Maura walked to him and hugged her brother in law. "I think that she was encased in carbonite to be taken off the ship. Now, what happened after that, I have no clue. But I do believe she was alive when she left the Dreamweaver."

Devin felt a release of the knot in his soul, one that had been clenched for five years. I knew there was something, he thought. He felt a cautious hope filter through the group, and met Corso's eyes. Yes, he thought, there it is, the thing that's made Dad so different. Hope. He looked for Calypso and found her at Sarai's side. She grinned at him, and he saw that as much as she'd been hiding in her indifference, she was excited that there was at least a possibility.

Food had almost been forgotten in their news, but when they did sit down to eat, Corso found he was actually famished. The feeling around the large outdoor table was one of determination, and they all felt a renewed purpose. When Corso fell into his bed, he was asleep immediately, a dreamless, restful sleep that he'd needed for years.

Aric pulled Maura closer to him and stroked her hair. "I'm so glad I married a smart woman," he told her. "That's the most relaxed I've seen the Riggs family in a very long time, and it's all because you were brilliant to take that scanner with you today." He kissed her forehead, and felt her sigh. "What? It's good news, hon."

"I know, but we still haven't found her," Maura replied, afraid to get too hopeful. "It could be a long time before we figure out where she might be."

"We will find her, love, I promise you that. Colin will be here tomorrow, and Calleigh promised she'd be here soon to visit. We have to figure out how to get her to stay here. Still," he said, settling her head on his shoulder, "we will start looking. And force help whoever is behind it, when we do find her." He felt his wife relax against him, and looked forward to having all his children home. Home, he thought. By this time tomorrow all of our extended family will be here. Everyone except Miriah.

Devin couldn't stop his mind from trying to find his mother. Sarai had stayed at the ranch house, and he could feel his grandmother thinking about it, too. If Mom had any enemies still, they had to be Imperial, he thought. He tried to remember the last missions Miriah had flown for the Republic, and he was almost sure that she'd been on Ziost just before it had been destroyed. He remembered that she'd been on the orbital station, Dad at her side, when they'd learned of the destruction. Since then, she'd been mostly working with the military planning, even though the war had started to wane. At least, before the Eternal Empire folks, he thought. We need to search the last records of her mission plans, he decided, before fatigue took over and he finally rested.

Morning saw the Riggs men refreshed and ready to search. Devin and Corso made pancakes, and roused Calypso. Even the sleepy girl had a broad smile when she joined them. After they ate, Corso and Devin met Aric and Felix at the office. "What was the last thing Mom was working on here?" Devin asked his uncle. Aric turned to Miriah's office but stopped at the entrance.

"I haven't been in here since she went missing," he said quietly, Corso beside him.

"Me either," Corso said, "but I know her passwords, so let's see what's on her to-do list." He pulled out the chair and sat, his fingers poised over the keyboard. The thought that Miriah had been the last person to touch anything in here made it feel special, somehow. He logged into the terminal and brought up a listing of files by date. "It looks like the last thing in here was a search and rescue on Ziost." He turned to see Aric's thoughtful face.

"I remember that an agent worked on that project, can't remember his name, but he was in big trouble before the destruction. Something to do with him having a secret force army, or something like that. I really didn't think much of it at the time." Aric looked over Corso's shoulder. "Nothing that would lead to someone taking her off her own ship." They both looked up as Felix entered, and noted the grim look on his face.

"I don't see any other instances of abandoned, adrift spaceships," he said. "I can't find any past enemies, the databases are just too damaged. In looking at our own files, she did nothing but rescue work that last year." Felix sighed. "I need ideas, guys. Where to look next?" Devin joined them and they could see his force aura at work.

"The Empire uses a lot of carbonite, the main source of it is in their control, on Bespin," Devin said, thinking out loud. "I didn't feel any outright animosity, although when she was taken she wasn't surprised, just mad." The other men looked at the Jedi then. "I felt it," he said, shrugging.

"Was it someone she knew?" Corso asked.

"Not sure," Devin said. "But I think she'd at least seen them before. She wasn't talking, she was too busy shooting." Aric laughed.

"I'm quite sure that Miriah didn't go easily," he said, and caught the slight smile on Corso's face. Thank the stars, he seems more himself today than I've seen in a long while, he thought. "Let's break, I want to pick Maura's brain a bit." They all agreed and Aric went to his house, a two minute drive on the speeder. When he arrived, Maura was walking across the yard, her arms full of linens, on her way to Colin's house. It wasn't finished completely, but it would do while the inside work was done. She stopped as he drove up and waited for him to walk over to her. He took part of the stack in her arms and followed her to the new dwelling. "I wanted to get your ideas on something," he told her, putting the towels in the sparking refresher.

Maura grinned at her mate. "Yes, you're still handsome, even if you have some…okay, a lot.. of gray," she told him, squealing when he threw water on her. "What did you guys find today," she asked, suddenly sober.

"Not a lot," Aric admitted. "What was Miriah doing, other than being with the kids and the few missions we had then?"

Maura sat down on the rough step and thought. "She and Calypso were cooking together, and she spent a lot of time with Mom. She never mentioned anything offworld to me." She pulled her hair back from her face. "She was really just enjoying being a mom. She talked about the boys and what they were doing and how fast Calypso was growing. She wrote letters to all the kids, to Michi and Ian and the twins, pretty much every week. Just before she left to get Logan, she talked to me about his sniper school and how proud she was even though she missed him being on the ranch." She stood and looped her arm through Aric's. "She was just Miriah. Nothing different than that." They both turned when they heard a speeder approaching, and went to meet their son as he returned home.

Devin took some food to one of the barns for his brother and Logan gratefully sat beside him in the cool shade to eat. Devin told Logan what they were looking for, and saw Logan's eyes light up. "When we were on Coruscant, and I was loading my gear, I saw a blonde woman staring at Mom. I said something to her about it, but she was so teared up with the graduation and all she didn't really take notice." He stood and paced. "Do you think she had something to do with it?"

"I don't know, but it's something to check," Devin said. "For the first time in five years I feel like we're actually doing something to get her back, though." Logan agreed and went back to work, feeling lighter than he could remember.

Devin took his nugget of knowledge back to the house, where Felix, Magdalane and Corso sat with Sarai. When he told them what Logan had remembered, Felix hopped on a speeder to the office, eager to search for other ships that were docked on Coruscant when the Dreamweaver was there. Corso watched his daughter as she talked animatedly with her brother. She's missed them both, but not as much as she's missed her mother, he thought.

Sarai was quiet, but when she stood to go outside to her speeder, Corso followed her. "Mom, is everything okay?" he asked.

Sarai turned to him with a smile. "I think I have some photos of Logan's graduation that Miriah sent me. I'm going home to see if I can put my hands on them. Maybe the same woman is in them, and we can use facial recognition to find out who she is. It may be nothing more than someone who admired her, but we need to know." Corso hugged the tiny woman, and wished her well. When he returned to the kitchen, the kids were playing a game, and he heard Calypso giggle. He made his way back to his office, and pulled up the holomail he'd gotten from Miriah when she was on Coruscant. His heart stuttered when he saw her, standing beside Logan, at the Senate Plaza walkway. He zoomed in on the crowd around them, but didn't see anyone who had blonde hair. He scrolled through the other images, looking at the background, and finally at the last one, he saw a blonde woman. He thought she looked familiar, but puzzled several minutes over the image without knowing who she was.

Devin found his dad in the office, and Corso beckoned him around the desk. "Look, see that one? I wonder if that's who Logan is talking about?" Devin spent a few seconds looking at the woman, and stood.

"I'm going to get him, right now. If that's her, then we have our first lead," he said, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. Corso wanted to be excited too, but he felt like he'd forgotten how. Instead he went to find his daughter and tell her what they'd been working on.

Calypso immediately grinned. She'd been devastated when her mother had gone missing, but she was so young. It wasn't until later that she'd realized what the emptiness meant, and that she'd never be able to snuggle with Miriah, to giggle and talk and dream with her again. By then, Corso had been at rock bottom, and the only one Calypso would talk to about her feelings was her grandmother. Today, she thought, might be the start of getting Mom back. Just the thought of it warmed her to her toes.

Devin found Logan hard at work. He'd thrown himself into the ranch life, and didn't even notice his brother at first. When he did, he took the small towel out of his pocket and wiped his sweaty face. "Dev, twice in one day? What's up?"

"Dad found a photo, from your graduation, and there's a blond woman in it. C'mon, come see if it's the person you remembered."

Logan stood still for a moment, aware of the movement around him and what this discovery might mean. He started toward the house on foot, but Devin pulled up to him with a speeder, and stopped to let him climb on. They drove faster than they should have, but Devin couldn't help himself. When they cleared the deck, Logan stopped to take off his filthy boots and followed Devin into the office. Corso met them there, and pulled up the image.

"What do you think, Lo? Is that her?" Corso asked.

Logan carefully studied the image, looked away and then back at the image before he slowly nodded. "Yes, that's the woman I asked Mom about." He turned confused eyes to his dad. "What does it mean, though? Mom never said who she was, or even if she knew her."

"It might mean nothing," Corso admitted, "but it's a starting point." He printed the image and took it out to the kitchen. "I can't place her at all," he told them. "But I called the others, we'll figure out if anyone knows her, then we can search."

By late afternoon, they'd all strained their memories and still couldn't place the woman in the photo, but even Aric agreed she looked vaguely familiar. Elara had joined the family and met the cousins, and they were having caffa when Colin jumped up, jarring the mugs as the table caught his hip.

"I know her! We were on Yavin 4, working with an Imp unit against the Revanites. She was some high level Sith. I don't know her name, but that's definitely her!"

Aric and Felix shared a look, and turned to Corso. "So the biggest question here, is why a Sith was on Coruscant, and what was her interest in my wife?"


	8. Chapter 8

They'd spent the evening running facial recognition searches, but so far hadn't found anything. Colin had sent a message to a colleague, asking if he'd known the Sith's name, but there was no response yet. Corso fell into bed, his fatigue a weight making him unable to move. He'd checked on Calypso before he'd showered, and saw that she was resting well. Even as tired as he was, Corso was having difficulty calming his mind enough to sleep. He knew that face, he just couldn't remember the name, he thought. He started thinking about the ranch, hoping his mind would solve the riddle in the background. He felt his body start to relax and just as he edged into sleep, it came to him. Beniko! Her name is Beniko, Lara or Lana or something like that. He jumped out of bed and grabbed his datapad, shooting off a message to Aric and Felix. He moved quickly into the hallway and nearly ran over Devin, who'd felt the force shift.

"You remembered something," Devin stated, his eyes full of excitement even though he kept his voice low. Corso told him the name, and Devin recalled hearing her being spoken of on Tython. He nodded, and they went into the kitchen. "We need to get this out, right now," Devin exclaimed.

Corso grinned at his son. "Already did. I sent a message to Aric and Felix when I remembered it, and Aric already answered. He'll be here any minute." They heard heavy boots on the back deck and Aric ducked his head in, a huge smile on his face.

"Let's get this party started," he said, and pulled out his datapad. "I know the main stores of information are destroyed, but let's see what we can pull up." All three of them worked steadily, and after an hour Corso stood to make cafa, his day catching up to him. He reached to take mugs out of the cabinet and heard a chime. He turned around so fast he dropped one of the mugs, but didn't even feel the shards when he stepped on them, hurrying to see what Aric had found.

"Got it!" the Cathar shouted, then covered his mouth, afraid he'd woken Calypso. "She is, or was, the Empire's Minister of Intelligence, and served under Darth Marr." He glanced around the table and saw that Corso was bleeding all over the floor, and pointed to his friend's foot. Devin's force aura flared briefly and the cuts were healed, Corso never even noticing.

"I still have no idea why she was watching Miriah," Corso said, his brow furrowed. "Any idea how we can contact her?"

Devin said he had a few contacts that might be able to get a message to her, and that he would try to holo them in the morning. The cafa forgotten, they moved into the family room, where they got comfortable to rest. Even though it was early morning already, they knew that as soon as it was a decent hour they would all be working frantically to find Lana Beniko.

Devin woke with a disturbance in the force, and sat up, rubbing his face before he realized what had woken him. "Dad, she's near," he said, shaking Corso's shoulder. Before his dad could fully wake up, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Aric growled, already moving toward the door. When he opened it, he was face to face with the town's deputy. "Good morning, Deputy Hines," Aric said, opening the door wider to invite the man in.

"Mr. Riggs, we had an unusual night in town," Deptuty Hines said. "There's a lady with a very strange looking ship and an even stranger accent who wants to talk with you. I told her, the Riggs had had enough bad luck, but she insists." He adjusted the wide belt that held his blasters and met Corso's eyes. "If you want me to get rid of her, I'll be glad to do that. Otherwise, she asked that you meet her in the spaceport. She doesn't have clearance for anything else, and I sure ain't gonna let some Imperial run around here without a care in the galaxy."

"Is this her?" Corso asked, showing the deputy the photo of Lana Beniko. The portly man lifted his hat and absently scratched his balding head.

"Yep, that's her all right," he replied. "Your call. I'll let her stay in the spaceport until sundown, then she'll have to go." Corso thanked the man and turned a confused expression to his family when the door had shut again.

"Okay, not sure about anyone else but I'm a little spooked by this. We just figured out who she was, and now she shows up?" Corso walked into the kitchen and swept up his mess from earlier, deep in thought. Devin followed his dad.

"She is Sith, Dad. It's possible that she felt the searches we did, especially if she were waiting for them." Corso looked at his son with thoughtful eyes, and nodded. It was the best explanation he could see. "We have to go. I'll see if Nana can come stay with Calypso." Corso nodded again, not trusting his voice. So many things I want to know, he thought, and when he finished dressing he grabbed Torchy, checking the charge and plasma. If this woman took Miriah, and she doesn't have a way to get her back, she won't be leaving this planet alive, he vowed.

Aric was determined that they would get answers. He had sent Maura a message, and wasn't surprised at all when she came through the back door, weapons in hand. "What are we waiting for?" she asked.

"Sarai is on the way here to stay with Calypso," Aric explained, and took the blaster she handed him. "No cannons?" he asked her, grinning.

"Smartass," she told him, lightly punching his arm before leaning in for a kiss. When Sarai arrived, they were all waiting outside, speeders ready. Corso had explained what was going on, and Sarai hugged them all before she let them go, watching the speeders until she could no longer see them.

The ride into town was uneventful, and so routine that Corso blinked when they approached the main square. He'd been so deep in thought that he wasn't sure how he got there. They turned toward the spaceport and stopped outside. Devin approached his dad then. "We need info, but we don't know that she did anything at all. We just talk, agreed?" He saw the others nod, and turned for the port. Aric took Maura's arm in his, and Corso brought up the rear.

When they were at the assigned dock, Devin turned to his father. "Dad, you go first. She wanted to see you." Corso approached the ship and hit the chime. Seconds later, the hatch hissed open and they had their first look at Lana Beniko.

"Thank you," she said, "for seeing me. I promise it will be well worth your while. Please, come aboard." Corso and the others followed her into the ship, a sleek vessel of unknown origin. Corso had never seen anything like it.

"Why are you here, why now?" Aric asked, breaking the silence.

"I know you all are searching for someone. I came to help," Lana said, sitting. When they were all seated, she continued. "Six years ago, I worked with Captain Riggs. She was an ally, if not a friend, and we worked well together. After the destruction on Ziost, we lost touch." She motioned to the service droid, who set a silver tray with a teapot and cups on the low table before them. She paused to pour a cup and offer it to Corso, who shook his head. "This was, of course, before Valkorian," she continued in her clipped accent. "Marr had named me Minister of Intelligence, but there was very little to administrate. Even early on, the fighting on the Outer Rim took most of our resources, which had been pretty decimated after Yavin 4."

Corso was getting agitated. He knew she was getting to a point, but he was more interested in Miriah than an assessment of Imperial battles. During the conversation, he'd noticed Devin practically hiding in the robe he'd pulled on before entering the spaceport. Before he had a chance to say anything, Lana continued her story. "I know you are Corso Riggs, the husband of Captain Miriah Chantalle Riggs, but I'm afraid I do not know the others here."

"I'm Aric Jorgan, and this is my wife Maura, Miriah's sister," Aric said. "This is Devin Riggs, Miriah's son," he said sweeping his arm toward his nephew. Lana's eyes grew wide as Devin removed the hood from his face, and the blinding light of the force surrounded the group. She knelt before him.

"I have heard stories, but I wasn't sure if they were true," she said haltingly. She'd been told of a powerful force user, but had no idea he was Miriah's son. "I am very honored to meet such a great Jedi."

Devin looked at his dad, confused. When Lana again was seated, she took up her story. "I had been trying to find Miriah for some time when I learned she was on Coruscant. I followed her when she left, under stealth of course- if she'd known I was there, she'd have shot me down without asking questions." Corso nodded, he'd figured Miriah had no idea she was being tailed.

"Why?" Devin asked. "Why would you go to such lengths to find a freighter captain that you'd worked with at one time?"

"I had a vision," Lana replied. "I knew Valkorian would extend his quest for domination to our galaxy. In the vision that I had, Captain Riggs was the one. The only one. The Outlander, who would find a way to save the galaxy after the Empire and Republic had fallen." While she spoke, her voice became softer and softer, whispering the last words. Corso had strained to hear them, and was even more confused by them.

"So, you followed her. Did you speak to her on Ord Mantell?" he asked.

"No, I'm afraid I didn't get the opportunity to land on that planet." Aric figured as much, since the spaceport was tied to a Republic fort.

"It was you," Devin said, his voice deceptively calm. "You boarded the Dreamweaver. You didn't even ask, you just burst in, blasters ready. I saw it all, and now I know what was missing. You." He stood, and Corso heard her quick gasp.

"I had to take her. She had to be safe! Valkorian would know there was one out there who would best him," she wailed, her composure shot. She looked frantically at the others around her, but saw only shock in their faces.

"Let me understand. You took Miriah off her ship, and let her entire family think that she was dead. For years now, they've suffered. And you're trying to tell us that it was for the good of the galaxy?" Aric's voice was a low growl, and Lana flinched.

"Why should we believe this story?" Maura asked. "And what has happened to my sister?"

"She is still encased," Lana said. "She is safe." Faster than anyone knew he could move, Corso was behind Lana, his arm around her throat. She gulped when Corso shoved Torchy under her chin.

"Please tell me why I shouldn't kill you right here, right now. You've taken a mother away from her children, a daughter from her mother, and a wife from her husband. Tell me, please, why you should be spared now?" The high pitched whine of the blaster echoed in the sparsely furnished ship, but Corso didn't waver. Lana shifted her eyes only, but met Corso's.

"Because I'm the only one who can take you to get her."


	9. Chapter 9

Corso's hand was steady as he held the squealing blaster. "Devin, is she telling the truth?" he asked his son, who was calmly watching.

"She is, Dad. She knows exactly where Mom is," Devin replied. He felt the rage building inside, but had complete control. "You can let her go, and I'll keep an eye on her."

Corso slowly lowered the blaster and pushed Lana away from him. "Let's go," he said, motioning to Lana, Torchy still in his hand.

"Cor, we need to hold up a minute here," Aric said. "We need to get provisions and let the others know what's going on." He stood slowly, waiting for Corso to look at him.

"Go, do whatever you have to do, but I'm leaving right now, we've already wasted five years!" Corso turned pleading eyes to his friend finally, and Aric saw the slight madness there. Aric sighed to himself, he knew Corso had been driven to a breaking point but was still, somewhere in there, a family man.

"At least call your daughter," Aric said, and that seemed to reach Corso. He pulled out his personal holo and talked to Sarai and Calypso, telling them only that they needed to make a trip. Sarai, of course, felt the message that Corso was really sending, but kept up the ruse with her granddaughter. While he was talking, Aric pulled Maura close enough to whisper to her. "Are we good to go here? Do you want to go back home?"

"There's no way I'm letting you two go get my sister without me," Maura told him. He kissed her and turned a grinning face to Corso, who was just putting his holo back into his pocket.

"Okay, then, we can go," Aric said, and he could see the relief flow over Corso's face. "But first, we need to get some more details." He sat again and motioned for Lana to as well. "So, why? Why is it that you would risk coming here? Telling Corso what you did five years ago?"

Lana had the grace to look embarrassed. "I should have come back and told you when it happened, but my duties to the Empire prevented me from doing so." She sighed and looked at her hands, clasped in her lap. "It was not one of my better decisions. I just knew of no other way to get the captain to a safe location, one that would never be disclosed because no one knew it existed. At least, that was the case five years ago." She poured more tea and sipped before resuming. "I took Miriah to a deserted Hutt storage center. I thought it was an excellent spot, until I learned a couple of years ago that it was now a droid controlled detention center." She looked at Aric then. "She is well guarded, but the guards have no idea who she is."

"It's time," Devin said. "Mom is needed. That's why she's here now, because we need to get Mom out safely, so that they can work against Valkorian." Lana nodded at the Jedi's words. Aric mulled the story around in his head, then sent a brilliant smile across the table.

"Okay, I'm up to speed. We can go now." Lana followed Corso up to the bridge. The controls were much more sophisticated that those of the freighter, and Corso felt helpless. He turned to Lana.

"I am going to have to trust that you aren't taking us to be killed or imprisoned. But know that I am watching, and more importantly, that my son is watching every move you make." He saw Lana hesitate, and when she reached for the comms to request launch clearance, her hand shook. Corso settled into the left seat, Torchy across his lap.

Maura took Devin aside. "Sweetie, I need to let you know some things. When we realized what had happened to your mom, I did some research on hibernation sickness." Devin gave his aunt his full attention. "There is a risk that she won't survive reanimation, if indeed she is still in the carbonite. She's always been so small, it's hard to know how she might react. And there are some side effects. Your father," and here she hesitated, "doesn't need to know all this right now. In his mind, all he wants is her back. He hasn't considered that she might not be the same Miriah that was taken five years ago." Devin nodded, he'd figured there would be some drawbacks to the extended freezing, but knew it was better to have his mother back even if she might not survive.

"Whatever we face, we'll get through it, Aunt Maura. Thank you for coming with us, I know that Colin just got back and you want to spend time with him."

Maura hugged her nephew. "Nothing, Devin, nothing is more important than possibly seeing my sister again." She quickly brushed away the tear that escaped from her cheek, hoping no one saw it.

By the time they'd reached orbit, Lana seemed to have settled. "We'll be in hyperspace for a couple of days," she told Corso, her voice soft. "I have sleeping areas for everyone." When Corso didn't respond, she looked over at him. His haggard face, now going on two days with little sleep, was expressionless, but she could see the torment in his eyes. There were so many emotions in such a small space, Lana was having trouble sorting them to their owners, but Corso's rang true, loud and clear. Longing was his overriding feeling, and she could tell it wasn't a new feeling for him. His soul longed for his wife, and it intensified the guilt Lana felt. "I'm sorry," she said, glancing at the man beside her. He seemed to have not heard her, and gave no reaction. Lana sighed, she knew it would take more than words to ease her debt.

Devin thought on Maura's words about hibernation sickness. Maybe we should have brought Aunt Mags, he worried. I can try but force healing isn't something I know a great deal about. He could feel Lana's force aura but it wasn't totally dark. He thought she might have some redeeming qualities even if she was Sith. But, he reminded himself, we wouldn't have lost Mom if she hadn't taken her. That thought hardened his resolve to treat Lana as an enemy until she'd proven otherwise. He settled in a spot that allowed him to see both Lana and his dad and the rest of the ship.

Aric was in the armory, examining the available armaments, when Maura found him. "We're going to need something heavier than blasters, if this facility is the normal Imp detention camp," he said, handing Maura a small assault cannon. "This should fit you pretty well." Maura grinned, and hefted the weapon to her shoulder.

"I should have thought to at least put armor in a bag before we left," she said, checking the plasma bolt feeder.

"There are a few pieces here that look brand new," Aric told her. "Nothing that will fit either me or Corso. Here, try this." He handed her a piece of molded durasteel, made for a female, and nodded when she made it work. They went through the rest of the available gear, but found nothing else usable. When they're reorganized it and left out the weapons they'd chosen, they returned to where Devin sat. "Dev, you have your saber?" Aric asked.

"Always," his nephew replied. "I had a feeling we would be going somewhere else today than just town, but the feeling wasn't strong enough to be sure." He stood and stretched. "We need to set up watches, so we'll be rested when we get there, wherever 'there' is." He looked at the bridge, and saw that his dad had slumped in the left chair. "Dad is sleeping, As long as we're in hyperspace, there's not much to do but ride. I'll go talk to Beniko."

Lana turned at Devin's approach. "We'll be all set in the hyperlane in a just a few minutes," she told the young Jedi. "I assume you want to set up a watch rotation?"

Devin just stood there, silently observing. Finally, he nodded. "I can feel that you are not deceiving us, but I also think there might be more resistance to our presence than you've let on." He leaned against the bulkhead. "Just what kind of hell are we going into?"

Lana paused and turned to look at him. "The facility holds a number of carbonite encased subjects," she said, her accent softened as well as her voice. "I know where the captain is, but there is no identification other than a vault number. There are droids there, but as far as I know, no sentient beings." She stood after engaging the hyperdrive and looked over at Corso. "This poor man needs to rest, but I fear he won't be able to move if we leave him here to sleep."

"I'll take care of it, just tell me where to let him bunk," Devin said, gently putting a hand on his dad's shoulder. Corso jumped and blinked several times, rubbing his tired eyes, before he realized where he was. "Come, Dad, and get some rest. You'll have watch in six hours." Corso nodded mutely, his brain had been on overload and was screaming for slumber. He handed Torchy over to his son, and followed Devin out to the crew area, falling into a bunk.

"Watch her," Corso whispered to his son, getting an affirmative head shake as his answer, before closing his eyes. Miriah, my love, I'm on the way, he thought. Corso felt a warmth envelope him, but he wasn't sure if it was force or hope that wrapped him. He decided that he was fine with either, and drifted back into sleep.

Aric had made assignments for watch, one person at a time except for Lana, and they wandered off into the bunks. Devin checked out the galley and found it fully stocked, before joining Lana again on the bridge. They sat in silence for a long while, and Devin realized that Lana was used to being alone. He wasn't sure how to take this Sith, with her conscience weighing her down and her strong sense of right and wrong. Finally, he asked her about her vision.

She considered him for a moment. "I knew that neither the Empire nor the Republic had the vast resources to deal with another threat. I was in a meditation room in the Citadel, trying to look for an answer, when I first saw the one who would be instrumental against Valkorian. I knew I'd seen her on Ziost, and when I looked further, I knew she had to be kept safe, until the time was right. If he'd seen, and he would have, then all would be lost." She looked down at her entwined fingers, nervously clenching and unclenching. "If there had been another option, another way to keep her presence hidden, I would have welcomed it." Devin was shocked by the tears that stung his eyes. He'd long ago willed away emotion, but here, with the prospect of seeing his mother again, it seemed his feelings were close to the surface these days. He turned his head to gain control and when he looked back, Lana had gone into the galley and he was left alone to think.

Maura had just finished checking the supplies in the med bay when Lana appeared in the doorway. "She's been frozen longer than I have experience with," the Sith admitted. "Still, I was assured that she would survive. Her recovery might take longer than usual, but I'm sure we can deal with the immediate issues long enough to get her back to Dantooine." Maura's hands stilled from the reorganization of kolto packs.

"What I read was temporary blindness, nausea, chills and extreme fatigue. That was in a study of carbonite subjects frozen for less than six months. We're talking years here. I think we have to be prepared for anything." She resumed putting the drawer in order, and didn't look up when Lana sighed heavily.

"I wish there had been another way. I only recently learned that she had adopted a daughter. There was nothing in our records about that." Lana sat down near the door. "I am a healer as well, together we can help her." Maura could feel Lana's sincerity even without being force sensitive, and agreed.

Aric found Devin on the bridge. "We're all set, Dev. Weapons, some armor. It's going to be dicey with the heavy droid presence, but we'll get her back." He sat in the pilot's char. "It feels good to finally be doing something, you know?" Devin grinned at his uncle, knowing Aric was never truly idle. They stared into the stars streaming past, and waited. Devin could feel every heartbeat, and knew they were bringing him closer to having his mother back than he'd been in five years.


	10. Chapter 10

Corso sat on the bridge, two days into their journey. He'd learned they were headed to Ryloth, and that Aric had found some weapons on the ship, but not much more than that. He'd seen Lana treat them as colleagues, but he still didn't trust her. His mind had wandered into darkness a few times, but the prospect of seeing Miriah again, even frozen in carbonite, was keeping him going. The plan was to take a shuttle down to the surface, bypassing the orbital station. The shuttle was ready, and they were only waiting until they were close enough to take off.

The Zakuul armies had ravaged the planet years ago, but many of the structures remained intact. There were small clusters of inhabitants there, but they were far away from the main city, where the detention facility was located. Aric and Maura had poured over the plans for the prison, and had mapped out the likely guard posts. Lana had confirmed that the facility still had power. When the proximity sensor notified them of their destination, they filed into the shuttle. Three days, and there had been very little conversation. They'd slept and ate, mostly in silence. Devin was last to enter the shuttle and as he closed the airlock, he grinned. Corso saw his son's face and couldn't help but smile back. They felt the lurch of the shuttle as it launched and settled back for the short ride down.

Lana had accepted that until Miriah was with them, the rest would remain aloof. She even understood it. As she felt through the force, they were still unsure about her, about getting the captain back, and even how they were going to pull this whole thing off. The depth of Corso's grief had been evident, and it had pierced her heart. She would be devoted to helping this family recover, if they'd let her. Devin was a puzzle to her, using both light and dark side force equally, never letting her get too close. Even sleeping, his force aura would push her back. She had the distinct feeling that, if he so chose, he would crush her like a bug and she would be helpless. Therefore, keeping on his good side was a priority for her. She piloted the shuttle down, and landed as agreed a short distance from the city.

"Let's move," Aric said. "We have an hour or so of travel before we get to the detention center." They pulled their packs on, made their weapons ready, and moved steadily toward the deserted buildings. Aric noted the absence of life, no creatures stirred under their feet nor flew overhead. That means there's no resources, he thought. He worried, and had been worried since they'd left Dantooine, about Miriah, and how she might be once they'd rescued her. Maura and he had talked about it in quiet whispers in their bunk, and he wasn't sure what they'd find. He hoped that the center still had power, and that they'd be able to get Spitfire back to the ship safely. He was bringing up the rear of the group, his eyes roaming their surroundings for trouble. They were approaching the wall around the city now, and he saw that Maura needed a short rest. They stopped and gathered, sitting and sipping water. "From what I remember here, we go in and right, along the wall until the west gate, then past it for three more buildings, right?" He looked at Lana, and she confirmed what he'd said.

"Dev, can you feel any life forces?" Corso asked.

"Nothing, not even any vermin," Devin said.

"If we meet groups of droids, like we assume we will, we stick together and take each group as they come," Aric said, getting agreement all around. "Lana, you lead here, we'll be right behind you."

"Agreed," she said, picking up her pack. They entered the city and skirted the wall, making quick progress, until Lana stopped abruptly. "Droid ahead," she told them, and they saw a two droid patrol walking slowly toward the center of the block. "We can wait them out," she suggested, and crouched to rest for a moment. When they started moving again, they were close to the west gate. Once past it, they had to stop several more times for patrols, the droids moving at a leisurely pace. Finally, they could see the door of the detention facility. Four droids were standing in place, their mechanical heads moving slowly in a sweeping motion.

"Everyone ready?" Aric asked, looking at the group. Devin and Lana both had lightsaber hilts in their hands, ready to activate them. Maura pulled the autocannon off her shoulder and they could hear it respond. Corso had Torchy already charged up. "Remember, let the cannons go first." Aric and Maura both braced themselves in a wide stance and started firing. The chatter of the big guns drowned out the sound of the lightsabers, but the pure white light of Devin's could be seen as he used the force to leap to the group, slashing the two droids relentlessly. When shiny metal parts covered the ground, they stopped to listen, trying to see of there had been any transmission from the groups they'd fought, calling reinforcements. All was quiet, and Corso stopped to close his eyes. He was so close, he thought, so very close to getting her back. He felt a little dizzy with the emotions flowing through him and the others waited for him to gather himself.

Devin felt the urgency in his dad, and reached out to him with calming force about the same time that Lana did. "Dad, I know, but we have a lot to do before we can see her. You okay with it?" Devin asked.

Corso nodded in response, and realized his hand shook as he put Torchy by his side. He could wait, he thought. He followed Aric into the darkened building and they immediately ran into another group of droids. Much as before, they decimated the group and waited, again hearing nothing. As they ventured deeper into the facility they met and took out small groups of droids, never having much difficulty with any of them. As they neared the lowest level, the groups became more sparse, and Lana rushed ahead to a vault marked only with a symbol.

"Here," Lana said, anticipation clear in her tone. She put in a code, but instead of opening, the door remained stubbornly shut. She put the code in again, and again, but the door refused to open. "I...I don't what's wrong here," she said.

"Stand back," Aric said, and leveled his cannon at the door. When the smoke cleared and they rushed into the room, they found nothing. No stasis holder, no computer. Nothing. "Are you sure this is the right vault?" Lana nodded, her face pale and drawn. Corso whirled on Lana with Torchy pointed and ready.

"Lady, I don't know what kind of game you're running, but..." He stopped when Devin put his hand on the blaster.

"She didn't know that Mom had been moved." Corso put the blaster down by his side, but his gaze never left the Sith. "If you're absolutely sure this is the right place," and Lana nodded again, "then we need to see if we can slice into a terminal and find out where she might be." They made their way back up the now empty hallway and spotted a small room to the side where the glow of a computer terminal was the only light in the room.

Corso's fingers flew over the keys. Please, tell me where she is, he chanted silently. Query after query came up blank, and, frustrated, Corso slammed his hand on the machine. "Nothing, this thing knows nothing about anything!" He rubbed his face, his hand throbbing. "What do we do now, Lana? Where is she? Does Valkorian already have her?" he shouted.

Lana backed up as far as she could, feeling the wall bite into her back. "The only suggestion I have is to see where these droids are going. She's still in stasis, I can feel that," she said, looking at Devin, who agreed with her. He could feel the tiniest spark of his mother and had held that close to his heart. As they made their way back to the entrance, Maura took Corso's hand, and was almost brought to tears at the anguish on her brother in law's face.

Corso knew he couldn't hide the disappointment he felt, and was struggling to stay optimistic. How would they ever find her on this forsaken world, he wondered. He trudged on, but his mind was only on Miriah. He almost tripped on the step, but Aric reached out to steady him and Corso realized he had zoned out. They were outside, and it was getting dusk. "We have two options," Aric told them. "We can wait until dawn, or we can keep moving. I think we're safe to travel after dark, since I haven't seen one living thing since we arrived."

"I agree," Devin said, "and now we have a trail." He pointed to the distance, seeing several droids with repulsor sleds traveling toward the facility. They started out with renewed purpose, and even Corso had some hope again. As the darkness grew, they saw a glow in the distance. Aric made them stop an hour into their journey for water and to get their bearings. He took out a set of macrobinoculars to scan the distance.

"I can't see where they're going, but we are definitely going in the same direction," he told them, opening a ration bar. "Ugh! I see these haven't improved over the years." He threw one to Corso. "C'mon, man. Gotta keep your strength up." Corso took the bar but didn't open it.

"What do we do if she's not been moved, Aric? What if she's not wherever we're going?" Corso's voice was quiet but the others heard his anxiety.

"Dad, we can only take things as they come. She's somewhere, and we'll find her." Devin stood and hefted his pack, ready to move. The others stood, and Maura hugged Corso. They set off again, and they found the coolness of the night gave them a little more energy. The closer they got to their destination, the more droids they saw, moving in pairs and groups. Devin finally could stand it no longer, and used force speed to take him to the edge of what seemed like a cliff. The glow they'd seen was brighter, and when he reached the edge all he could do was stop and stare.

A half hour later, when the rest of the group arrived, they were stunned into silence. The glow they'd seen from a distance was a huge fire, and they could see piles of carbonite freezing chambers in a circle around the central pyre. Corso fell to his knees, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. Finally, Lana voiced her theory. "The facility must be on the decommissioning list. So the droids were clearing it out." She blew out a breath. "Now we just need to find her. Let's each take a pile of these," she said, moving toward the closest one.

"Wait," Aric said. "We'll need to get out of here as soon as we locate her. Lana, can you go back to the shuttle and bring it here? That way, we can get her and go, and not have to fight all night."

"I'll bring it to the far edge of the clearing, over there," she pointed. "You find her, and I'll be here shortly." She smiled at Aric. "Thanks for thinking of it." She set off at a run, at a different but more direct angle than they'd taken to get there, and hoped she could make better time, using the force for speed and sight.

Devin closed his eyes and his force aura grew, the light surpassing that of the fire, the force touching each of the eleven piles of carbonite chambers. Finally it receded, and Devin's face lit up. "There!" he said, and took off toward the discarded prisoners. He and Aric worked as a pair, as did Corso and Maura. They lifted each large framed prisoner, inspected them and then gently placed them in a pile. As they worked, Devin came up with a plan. "We can't just leave them for the droids to destroy," he told Aric.

"We also can't free them all," Aric said. "We have no way to rescue them."

"Maybe we can just destroy the droids, and see if there's a way to send someone for them?"

Aric thought about that as they lifted the next prisoner. "Are you sure that the galaxy isn't better off with them here?"

"What if we hadn't been in time? Would you have wanted Mom to die like this?" Aric grew silent at that. He was about to answer when they heard Corso shout.

"Here! She's here!" They rushed over and with all four of them, they lifted the carbonite chamber up and started toward the meeting point. They made it with only a few seconds to spare before the next group of droids guided their loaded sleds into the clearing.

Lana guided the shuttle into the appointed spot and immediately saw the group, the carbonite chamber standing with them. Corso's joy was almost palpable, even inside the small vessel. Thank the stars, she thought, and lowered the ramp for the party to board.


	11. Chapter 11

Magdalane and Felix had been staying at the ranch house with Sarai and Calypso since everyone else had left, and had taken turns being in range of the holo. Magdalane's soul link with Devin had told her they were making progress, but now she couldn't feel him as clearly. She knew distance was an issue, and she hoped they were all safe. More than anything else, she hoped they'd found Miriah. She knew in her heart that to go to these extremes and not find her would be the final disappointment for Corso. She knew better than anyone else how far gone he'd been, and how little he'd recovered. Mags paced around the family room, the others asleep. She could tell there was something happening, and she called on the force for patience.

Devin looked up at the approaching shuttle, and turned to Maura. "There's not enough room in the shuttle for the chamber. We need to take her out," he shouted over the roar of the engines. Maura's eyes widened but she nodded her head and pulled Corso so that she could speak in his ear.

"We need to get her out of this," she said. "Be ready to catch her, we have to do this faster than is recommended." She started pushing buttons on the side of the frame just as the droids began to fire.

"Dammit," Aric shouted, and turned, cannon already whirring. "Hurry, Maura. We don't have much time here!" He mowed down another pair, and Devin took Maura's cannon, turning it on another group. A round hit the carbonite chamber, and it exploded in a million shards of razor sharp rock. When Miriah toppled from the now fluid chamber, Corso caught her in his arms and held her close.

"Go! Go!" Aric shouted, as he continued to fire volleys into the droids. When the group was moving up the ramp of the hovering shuttle, he backed into it as well. When he felt the shuttle lift, he and Devin wrestled the ramp closed.

Corso was holding his wife, and he could hardly contain his joy. His eyes shone brightly, but there was concern there as well. "Maura, what do we do? She's so cold!" Maura pulled out lightweight blankets that she'd stored on the shuttle and wrapped them around her sister's motionless body.

"That process should have taken an hour or so, and we didn't have much choice, but now we have to do some work. The first thing will be to get her warmed up, not much we can really do until we get to the ship."

Lana glanced over her shoulder, seeing the wrapped form of her ally. "We'll be docking with the ship in about twenty minutes." She face forward again, and willed the shuttle to move faster. She had seen instances where a carbonite chamber burst, and was anxious to get Miriah somewhere she could check her out.

Devin knelt beside Corso and put his hands on his mother's shoulders. "I want to try to use the force to warm her but I'm afraid I might do more damage," he said quietly. Just touching her, seeing her long ebony hair as it trailed over his dad's arm, settled something deep in his soul, and he felt whole again. He looked up at the unshed tears in his dad's eyes. "We've got her, Dad."

"I know, son, and I'm so thankful right now," Corso said. "Now we have to get her better." Devin spent the rest of the journey sitting at his father's feet, his hand on his mother's arm.

Aric sat with Maura, but winced when she lay her head on his shoulder. "Aric, you're bleeding," Maura said, grabbing her pack. She pulled the cortosis weave shirt over his head, and heard him hiss in pain when she had to lift his injured arm. "Here, let me see," she told him, putting icy cold kolto gel into the plasma burn. Devin turned and saw that his uncle was hurt, and put his other hand on Aric's knee.

"Thank you, both of you, we couldn't have managed this without you," Devin told them. "Is it bad?" he asked his aunt.

"Nah," Aric said. "Just a little plasma."

"He heals quickly," Maura said, putting enough pressure on the wound that Aric grunted. "All done," she told him with a quick kiss.

Lana told them they were approaching the ship, and they got ready to go through the airlock. When Corso cleared the door, he ran to the medbay, trying not to jostle his very still wife. He put her gently on the table and looked up to see Maura, Lana right behind her. Maura hit a button and a screen above the bed glowed to life, covered in numbers and readings. Both women studied the display for a few seconds before Maura spoke. "She's still very cold, and I don't want do anything until her core temperature is higher." Lana agreed and turned to a supply locker.

"I'm going to try heating these," she said, and force light covered her. She handed the blankets to Maura, who took the ones they'd used in the shuttle off and replaced them with the warmed ones. Maura saw Corso sitting on the other side of the bed, his helplessness written clearly on his face.

"It's going to take some time, Cor. I can't even tell you how much at this point. We have some obstacles to get through before we know for sure if we can even revive her." His face fell further at her words, but he nodded. "Go, get something to eat. Get comfortable."

Corso heard his sister in law's words, but he didn't move. "I've waited five years to see her again. I'm not going anywhere." He pulled the chair closer to the bed, and watched the displays eagerly. Maura told him what the numbers were, but he didn't really hear her. His heart was watching the face he'd loved and missed for so long, feeling the uncertain emotions of having her and not having her, at least not yet. When Maura finished speaking, he turned to her. "So when her temperature comes back up to, say being outside on Hoth, you'll know more?" Maura sighed.

"Cor, right now her brain is being preserved by the cold. Her cells require less oxygen and other things when she's this cold. The key is warm her up gradually. Right now, she's not breathing and her heart is barely beating. What we want to happen is that when she warms, her autonomic nervous system will kick in and she'll start breathing on her own. If that doesn't happen, then we have to work fast." Corso could hear the worry in her voice, and it seeped into his consciousness as well.

He sighed. "So we wait. I'll be here, right here, so if you need to go do something, go ahead. As long as I can see her, I'm happy. For now, at least. I'd think we might want to get the wet clothing off, though." Maura nodded, and together they cut off the wet, cracked leather and soggy cloth. Miriah's skin was still a horrid shade of gray, and now that her clothing was gone, they could see bruises and marks. Corso's eyes narrowed as he saw the result of his beautiful wife fighting for her life. Maura knew that if Lana were in the room, she'd have to answer some tough questions, but for now, Corso was silent. They wrapped Miriah up again and settled back to wait.

Devin peeked into the medbay, anxious to see how his mother was doing. He saw his dad, and knew Corso saw only Miriah. He looked at his aunt and raised an eyebrow. Maura only shook her head and let out a sigh. He sank down on the floor at the door, reclining his head on the door frame. In minutes, he was asleep, and the sight of it made Corso smile. "I remember when he was just a little guy, he always wanted Miriah when he was tired and sleepy." He turned his gaze to his wife, and then to the display. "This reminds me of when she was almost due with Dev. Stuck in the Carrick Station hospital. Stars, sometimes it seems like yesterday, and sometimes I think it's so long ago." He stretched and yawned. "She's warming," he said to Maura.

"She is," Maura replied, standing to run a scanner over Miriah. "In ten more degrees, we'll see if she will breathe." They replaced the blankets with warm ones that Lana brought in, and all three sat to watch the numbers, Corso bouncing his knee in anticipation. The quiet and the long day had them all drifting in thought, and suddenly Corso jumped up.

"She's warm enough but she's not breathing!" he shouted, and ran to Miriah's head. He put his cheek to her mouth and nose, and felt nothing. "Help!" he said, looking at Maura.

Maura pushed him aside and pinched Miriah's nose closed, then took a deep breath, blowing it into her sister's lungs. She did this twice, then straightened. When Miriah didn't take a breath, she repeated the maneuver. Still, Miriah didn't respond, and the alarms of the monitoring system started to blare in the now-small room. After the third attempt, Maura turned anxious eyes to Lana, but before she could say anything, Miriah gasped, arched up on the bed, and took a breath. Maura immediately turned her on her side, and Miriah emptied what had been in her stomach when she'd been frozen, along with a sizable amount of carbonite.

Maura eased Miriah back onto her back and inclined the exam bed a few inches. Devin had woken with Corso's shout, and watched as his mother's skin lost some of the dull gray color and her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. "I'm going to put this oxygen mask on her, try to make sure that she's getting enough air."

"Her heart rate is picking up," Lana said, and they could all hear the relief in her voice. Corso had grabbed Miriah's hand, and glanced at the two medics.

"What happens now? Will she wake up?" he asked.

"Now is the real waiting game," Maura told him gently. "Physically she is holding her own, but this is far from over. It's possible that she will never wake up, Corso. We just don't know right now."

"She will," he said, a confidence in his tone. "I know she will." He pulled his chair right up to the bed and picked at the carbonite shards in her hair. "I won't give up."

"Let's take shifts with her," Lana said to Maura, her voice tired but hopeful. "I'll stay and wake you up in a few hours." Maura nodded, and proceeded to clean up the debris around the bed. Devin watched them, offered to help, and when they refused, went to the other side of the bed from his dad. He took Miriah's other hand in his. Mom, he thought, it's so good to see your face. He looked over at Corso.

"Dad, you can't let yourself get run down. I'll stay with her, go get some rest." He saw Corso blink back tears before he spoke.

"Dev, I appreciate you so much. I know you're worried, but son, I have to be right here. It's been an eternity since I've been able to hold Mom's hand. Right now, that's sustaining me." He reached over Miriah's tiny body and ruffled his son's dark hair. "Even if she doesn't wake up, I'm so glad I have the opportunity to see her." Devin saw the determination in Corso's eyes and settled in to spend time with his mother.

Maura crawled into the bunk with Aric and he pulled her close. "How are things going?" he murmured.

"She's breathing on her own, at least. That's one hurdle." She gently touched his injured arm. "What about you?"

"Just a scratch," he said, tucking her head under his chin. "I'm guessing you're doing shifts with Lana?" She nodded. "Corso is still beside her?" Again, Maura nodded. "Get some rest, hon. I'll get up when you do." He felt her relax against him, and thought about the family in the medbay. Maybe, he mused, Miriah will be awake tomorrow. He knew it wasn't likely, from what Maura had told him days ago, but it was a hopeful thought, and he slept a little easier than he had in a long while.

Corso laid his head on the side of the bed, his hand still gently holding Miriah's He was tired, but it felt like his eyes couldn't get enough of seeing her. Mir, he thought, I don't know if you'll ever wake up or even if you'll know who I am when you do, but I will be here, beside you, for the rest of my life. He looked over at his son, who had succumbed to sleep again, but still held on to his mom's hand. We will all be right here, waiting for you. He closed his tired eyes, but maintained his contact with her, his soul at peace.


	12. Chapter 12

Lana turned to Corso when they'd reached Dantooine's orbit. "Thank you for maintaining comms silence," she said. "The longer we can keep Miriah out of Valkorian's sight, the better." Corso nodded, he'd understood the reasons. Since getting Miriah back, he was very easy to get along with. He gave the Sith the coordinates to the landing pad at the office, and she'd frowned.

"It's got the most advanced medbay. Besides, I figured you would need a safe place out of sight. The office here has a fully stocked and ready shelter underground, which is where the medbay is as well." Lana looked at him with surprise. "I'm not a monster. I know you took the action you did for a reason, even if I don't agree with it. You'll be safe there."

Lana felt the tension ease from her shoulders. It would be good to have a place to feel safe again, she thought. Corso stood and made his way to the medbay on the ship, to let Maura know they were entering Dantooine's atmosphere. Maura stood over her sister, who hadn't moved on her own since she'd been rescued, but had maintained her own breathing and heartbeat since those terrifying minutes two days prior. "Almost home," Corso said, and Maura smiled. "I bet Mags and Sarai already know we're here."

"I am so hoping that Mags can help," Maura said, wrapping Miriah once more before landing. "Maybe she can use their soul link to see if there's anything left of the sister we knew." Corso felt his spirits drop just a little, but took a deep breath and pushed the fear away.

"She's in there, I know it, Maura." He took Miriah's hand, which was warm now, and readied himself for landing.

Magdalane had felt the force jolt when the ship had left the hyperlane almost six hours ago, and was anxiously awaiting their landing at the office. She wasn't sure if it was her idea or one she'd gotten from those aboard, but she was certain that's where they would land. The part of Miriah that she'd felt was very small, but distinct, and Mags had rejoiced in it. She'd shared it with Sarai and Felix, but they'd waited to talk to Calypso until the ship was closer. The young girl had stared at them unbelieving, then burst into tears. All she could say was "Mom", over and over, and finally Sarai had used force to calm her. Mags had left for the office then, but she could feel that Calypso was regaining control and was anxious to see Miriah.

The small ship settled easily onto the landing pad and instantly the ramp slammed down. Devin came out first, followed by Maura and Aric. Aric raced ahead to open the office and stopped to hug Mags. "Corso is bringing her, and Lana is staying in the bunker," he told her as Maura embraced her sister. Mags nodded as they left, and her eyes turned to the ship. Corso appeared, and she saw that he carried a wrapped bundle, which had to be her other sister. Yes, she thought, she's still with us. Her smile rivaled the sun as Corso made his way to her.

"She's breathing on her own," Corso told her, as proud as a new parent. "She's going to make it, Mags. I'm sure of it." Magdalane smiled at him and walked with him to the office. The elevator took them into the sophisticated medbay, where Maura had the center bed set up with warm blankets. Lana was getting the monitoring equipment attached.

"We need to get some fluids into her," Maura said, setting up intravenous equipment. She worked, head down, until she felt Mag's calming force around her. She looked into her older sister's jade eyes, and the tears started. When they'd taken a few minutes to comfort each other, Maura stepped back. "We didn't have time to reanimate properly, the chamber was damaged and we just took her out all at once." At Magdalane's wide eyed horror, Maura blushed. "I know, it was risky. Kark, everything is when we're dealing with someone in carbonite for five years." She turned to look at the monitors. "But she's done all the things she should have, except regain consciousness." Magdalane waited until the fluids were flowing into Miriah to gently cover her with her force aura. Maura knew to shut her eyes, but Lana didn't, and her stunned expletive made Maura almost giggle.

Magdalane probed gently, fixing the bruises and bumps she could see. As she approached Miriah's still mind, she could feel the sliver of presence, that little bit of spark that made Miriah who she was. It wasn't much, but Mags sensed it, and tried to communicate. Mir, she thought, we're all here, all rooting for you. Just heal, and I'll be checking on you. Take your time, but come back. We've missed you.

Devin had just left the elevator when he saw the light, and added his own force. He heard what his aunt had said, and added his own thought. Mom, I love you. When the combined auras faded, he looked at Mags. "Sorry, I had to add that last part. It's been too long since I was able to tell her." Magdalane just hugged him, knowing full well that Miriah was just fine hearing it, if she could.

Corso joined them, his hands full. When he set the bundle down, he turned to the sisters. "I brought some warm, soft clothes for her. We had to cut off what she'd been wearing," he explained to Mags. Maura helped him dress Miriah, gently massaging her atrophied muscles. When they'd done, Corso turned to Devin. "I think Calypso can see her now, I just didn't want to shock her." Devin nodded and left to get his grandmother and sister, a spring in his step. Corso just pulled up the available chair. "Lana, the bunker is straight down the hall to the left, there's showers and refresher in between here and there. Let me know what you might need that's not in here." He grinned. "Miriah outfitted this all, so I expect there to be some chocolate somewhere, and I know she put good linens on the bunks." Lana smiled. Corso's happiness at having Miriah close overrode all the other emotions she could feel, and it made her happy as well. She took the bag she'd brought with her to the living area to get settled.

Mags took a seat next to Corso. "Cor, she's in there. It may take awhile for her brain to heal, but her mind is there." Corso looked at his sister in law with tears of joy in his eyes.

"I knew she would be, that she would fight," he whispered. Mags put her arm around his shoulders.

"It's been a long time since I've felt this peace from you, Corso. It's so good to have you back," she told him. They looked up when the rest of the family came out of the elevator. Calypso was hesitant, but when she saw Miriah's face, she pressed a kiss to her mother's cheek, unable to say anything around the huge smile on her own face. They all talked quietly until the monitors started to beep, and Maura shooed them out. Mags looked at the numbers. "All the stimulation overwhelms her," Mags confirmed. "Her body is doing well, but her brain is still recovering." Maura nodded and adjusted the vitamin enriched fluids that were hydrating Miriah. She bent to put some ointment on Miriah's dry, cracked lips, and saw that Corso had brought some lotion for her skin. Together, Maura and Mags attended to their sister, their touch gentle and soothing for them both. Corso still sat, Miriah's hand in his.

Later in the day, Logan and Elara came to visit. Logan rushed to his mother's side, his eyes bright. "Mom, this is my wife," he said. "I wish you'd been able to meet sooner, but it's so wonderful to have you back!" Logan stayed after Elara had left. "Dad, are you doing okay? Can I bring you something?"

Corso smiled at his youngest son. "Lo, I've got everything I need right here." He patted Miriah's hand gently.

"But you need to eat and rest," Lana said from behind them. "And not just sitting there in that chair. You have to take care of yourself, so that you can take care of Miriah." Logan had stood when Lana spoke.

"I still have no idea why you took my mother," Logan said, the anger in his voice clear. "And I'm not sure why you're still here." Corso explained the situation, and some of the rage left Logan's manner, but he was cautious. "If you try to hurt her again," he said, before Corso stopped him with a hand on his arm. Logan turned and walked out, but Lana was very clear where the young man stood.

"I suppose it's been a nightmare," Lana said finally. "I know that you've extended your hospitality to me, and I appreciate the chance to regroup, but if it causes discord with your family, I can move on."

"No," Corso said. "You're not safe out there, and if anyone can connect you with Miriah, neither is she. Have you heard anything about the facility?" Lana shook her head, and Corso sighed. "I'm not force sensitive, but even I can tell you need to stay here."

"I agree," Aric said, entering the medbay. He carried a box, which he put down on the back counter. "Brought hot food, and you will eat, Cor. C'mon, I'll sit right there if it makes you feel better." Corso stood and stretched, the smell of roast nerf making his stomach rumble. He and Lana ate silently, while Aric told them about the day.

"Calypso can't even sit still," he said, "and keeps saying how wonderful Miriah looks. Logan seems more cautious."

"He always is," Corso murmured around a mouthful of food.

"Sarai wants to come back tonight, so that you can get some rest," Aric told him, and didn't have to turn to see that Corso was shaking his head. "I know, you don't want to leave her, but Sarai thinks she can convince you." It was almost midnight, and they were all tired. Corso rubbed his eyes, feeling the grit there.

"I'm going to take a shower, and I'll be right back," he said, and Aric saw the look in his eyes.

"I'll be right here," he answered. "Take your time." Aric sat in the chair, and Lana packed up their dishes.

Sarai came in quietly, and when she approached her youngest, she kissed her forehead gently. She didn't need words, and was content just to touch the one she thought she'd lost forever. Aric stood and offered her the chair, and she took it with a grateful smile. Corso rejoined them and when he would have merely shook Aric's hand, the Cathar hugged him instead.

"One day at a time," Aric said. Corso nodded and went to sit beside Sarai.

Sarai knew Corso would have spent every second with his wife, and she could see the fatigue. The food had helped, she thought, and the shower, but she knew that if he didn't rest soon, he would be sick. She waited until the silence had made them both drowsy, and spoke quietly. "See those spiky waves, Cor? She's sleeping, resting. You need to as well. If it makes you feel more settled, I'll sit right here with her until you wake."

"I know you would, Mom. But I still need to touch her, to remind myself that this is real and not just another dream of her being back. I'm fine," he said.

"We need another solution," Sarai said, looking around the room.

When Lana returned to check the fluid infusion, what she saw made her heart warm. Corso had managed to pull a second exam bed close to Miriah's, and had found a pillow in the bunker. He was fast asleep, his hand holding Miriah's hand against his chest, over his own heart. Miriah is the center of this family, she though, and it made her feel even more guilt at having had to take her away. She decided to go up and take a quick look outside. When she did, her eyes filled with tears. On the grounds of the office, near the front door, were people. Maura and Aric, Magdalane and Felix, all the children- everyone was there, sitting around the small campfire or lying on field mats. Aric offered her a cup of caffa, and she sat with them, the air of contentment surrounding them. This, Lana thought, is what family should be, and she felt included.


	13. Chapter 13

Corso woke after a few hours of rest and gazed at Miriah, who hadn't moved. Her hand was still firmly in his, though, and that counted for something, he thought. He could hardly believe she was here, and he could touch her. All those nights when he thought she was with him and he'd wake to nothing but darkness faded in his memory, and he sighed with the relief of her beside him. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and hold her close, but Maura had cautioned him against it, telling him he could hurt her unintentionally. The thought of hurting his love ran a cold shiver down his spine. He could be content with just looking at her, he figured. He looked at the display above her head, and out of the corner of his eye, he thought she moved her arm. He continued to watch, to see if it would happen again, but nothing. He finally closed his eyes again, smiling.

Magdalane and Devin sat at the ranch house kitchen table, discussing the next steps. "I feel like there's something we're waiting for," Devin said. "Not just Mom waking up, but like we need to protect Lana, too."

Mags nodded. "I've felt it as well. I think Lana's still well known in what's left of the Empire. I sure hope there's not any Zakuul hunting her." They both grew thoughtful at that, knowing what had happened on other planets when both the Republic and Empire's armies had fought them. "We might take the Dreamweaver out of the hangar and put her ship in there, at least out of sight."

"I'll get Logan to help with that," Devin said. They picked up trays of food, and along with the house droid, took them over to the office, where the family remained gathered. Aric still slept, but when Maura saw them, she gently moved her husband's arms and met them, the others starting to wake.

"I went down about an hour ago, and replaced the fluids. They're so sweet together," she said, referring to Corso and Miriah. "I thought I saw her twitch, but then I didn't see it again, so I'm not sure."

"I'm hesitant to try and force scan her again so soon, especially since I saw how easily she got overwhelmed yesterday. I would say we need to dim the lighting in there, since the most common reaction to carbonite freezing is blindness." Maura hummed her agreement and they sat to eat.

Aric had been listening, but kept his eyes closed. Man, I hope Spitfire is awake soon, he thought. His body was still recovering from the combat they'd seen on Ryloth, and he rolled on his back, stretching sore muscles. I never thought we'd be in direct combat again, he mused, but it felt good. Maybe we all need to start training, getting ready. This Valkorian maniac isn't going away anytime soon. His feline nose twitched with the smell of breakfast, and he eased himself up from the sleeping bag. Mir better be on the mend soon, he thought. I'm too old for sleeping on the ground.

Devin brought food down for his dad, and was pleased to see that he was rested. His mom still looked the same. He sat with Corso as he ate. "Dad, I brought something for Mom," he said, pulling a pair of padded socks out of his pocket, Miriah's favorites. "I thought maybe if we brought in things she liked, or things that might make her remember home, then she'd be back sooner." Corso looked at his son with thoughtful eyes.

"It's worth a try," he said. "I thought I saw her move early this morning, but didn't see it again." He finished his food and stood to put the socks on his wife's tiny feet. When he did, he felt her toes move against his hand. He stood still for a momen, then looked at Devin's surprised face. "Go get your aunts," he told Devin, who sprinted up the stairs, too excited to wait on the elevator. Lana came in from the bunker area, and Corso told her what had happened. Lana immediately went to dim the lights in the room, explaining the blindness side effect to Corso. When the sisters swept into the room, it was a dim, warm area illuminated by Corso's broad smile. Maura proceeded to check Miriah's reflexes, noting that she was responding weakly but as she should to all the taps and touches. When Maura put pressure on her sister's sternum, they all heard a weak but distinct groan from Miriah's lips.

"Her reflexes are intact, and she's responding to painful stimuli. That's something, at least," Maura said softly.

"She's coming back!" Corso said, hugging Maura. "I knew she would!"

Aric watched the celebration, and smiled. This was what the whole mission was about, he mused. He walked over to where Corso was hugging his wife and hugged them both. "Great news!"

"So do we do anything to help?" Devin asked.

"We need to move her muscles, very gently," Maura said. "And talking to her might help, but just at a low level and we have to watch that she doesn't do what she did yesterday with everyone in here."

"I'll work with her," Lana said. "I've done this many times with injured soldiers." Corso thanked her, making her smile. She'd enjoyed being a part of the family the evening before, and when she went outside to grab breakfast, Devin told her of the plan to move her ship. She agreed it was a good idea, and thanked Devin for his foresight. She saw Logan at the far end of the table, his gaze distrustful. "I have a feeling that your brother isn't happy that I'm still here."

Devin sighed, and tried to explain. "He was a sniper in the Republic army, before all the madness. His unit was dissolved, and I think now he's just relying on his training where you're concerned." Lana sat with her hands in her lap, feeling slightly dejected. Now that she'd gotten Miriah to safety, she wasn't sure what her path was. Devin felt her uncertainty. "My grandmother has a meditation room," he told her. "I'm sure that she would let you try to find your way."

"I'm grateful that I have a place to stay and great food, wonderful people. I'd hate to put anyone out further," she said.

"I'll let her know you might need it, and you can use it when you're ready," he said. Lana agreed, and went to get ready for the day.

There were signs as the day progressed that Miriah was struggling to the surface of her induced hibernation. By late afternoon, the whole family was encouraged by her movement, however slight. Corso hadn't left her side for more than a couple of minutes, but he did call to Aric as the sun began to set. "Hey man, tell everyone that they need to rest at home. I'm sure Mir wouldn't like to know that they're all on the ground out there."

"Thanks the stars," Aric said. "I don't know how the kids sleep on that rocky hillside. I'll tell them, but no guarantees. You know they all just want to be supportive."

"Yeah, I get it. I'm not sleeping anywhere else, but I hope they get some rest. I have a funny feeling that we're not done fighting yet."

"Exactly what I was thinking this morning," Aric answered. "I even started putting together a tactical analysis upstairs in case we get visitors." Corso nodded, he knew his friend would be thinking ahead. "I'll send it to you later. You have your datapad, right?" Corso told him that he did.

Aric walked to Miriah's side. "Hey Spitfire, you need to get through this, I need your blaster." Corso smiled. Aric touched her hand, and she tried to grasp his fingers. The motion startled him and he jumped. "Cor, she tried to touch back!"

Corso laughed. "Yeah, man, she's been doing that this afternoon. I'm hoping to see her eyes soon." He took Miriah's hand, and laughed when she threaded her fingers with his. "See? She's getting closer." When Aric left, Corso sat beside his wife, relaxed and happy.

Corso sat without moving for several hours, and when he did stand, he realized it was evening. He walked to the stairs but didn't go up, he hated to leave Miriah alone for even a few minutes. He shrugged, and walked around the medbay for a minute. He happened to be on the other side of the room when he heard a faint sound, and rushed to Miriah's side. She parted her healing lips and another sound emerged, one that sounded like pain. "I'm here, love, right here. Miriah, can you hear me?" he cried. When she again fell silent, he worried. She sounded uncomfortable, he thought, and while that is certainly understandable, how can I make it better, he wondered. He stood thinking for a minute, then snapped his fingers. He made his way to the supply closet and pulled several pillows, a blanket and a few towels out.

He approached the hard bed and studied it, then pulled his supplies close. He carefully turned his prone wife on her side and supported her back with couple of pillows, adjusting her shoulder and arm gently. He put a pillow under one knee, and replaced the one under her head with one freshly plumped. He tucked the blanket over her shoulder, and rolled the towel to support her arm. When he'd finished, he was quite proud that she looked more comfortable. Maura came in, a plate of food in her hands for Corso, and had to grin.

"What brought this on?" she asked, observing that the brain wave monitor was calm.

"She made sounds," he said. "She seemed to be uncomfortable so I started looking at how hard and flat this thing is," he explained, poking the medbay exam bed with his finger. "So I fixed it."

Maura laughed. "You did, she seems more settled. I have to say that I'm surprised she's progressing this well. Here, you need to eat, Cor." She handed him the food and took his place beside Miriah. "Her color looks better. I'm guessing you're staying here again tonight?" He nodded. "I'm trying to get Colin to go home, but he feels better here, he says. Calleigh will be here tomorrow, and wants to examine Mir, since she had zero experience with carbonite." Maura picked up and rearranged supplies, checked the infusion and waited for Corso to eat, knowing that if she left, he'd resume his position beside Miriah and not get any break at all. Finally, she sat.

"Wow, that was really good ronto," he said. "I'm guessing Felix cooked tonight. His ronto stew is always good." Corso stood and stretched his lean frame, and walked around the small room. It felt good to move around, and he took advantage of Maura's presence to shower, as he'd done the night before. Sarai had been in and out all day, but Devin had told him that she was sleeping at the ranch house tonight. Calypso had been in just a little bit earlier and gave her mother a gentle kiss goodnight.

When Corso was again ready to try and rest, everyone left him. They'd been told that they should go back and sleep in real beds, but they insisted that they were happier in their makeshift camp. He carefully checked Miriah for any pressure points, as Maura had showed him, and lay back in his own hard bed. He'd only just drifted off when something woke him. He felt Miriah's hand in his own, and looked around to see what had caught his attention. He heard her then, her soft cry telling him she was in pain. He looked all around, shifted pillows, even turned her on her other side, but she continued to cry out, though the sounds were getting softer as she weakened. He didn't want to wake Maura up, but the spikes on the monitor were getting sharper and Miriah's heart rate was speeding up. Finally, out of other solutions, he gently picked Miriah up and draped her across him, her head on his shoulder. When he looked back at the monitor, her heart rate had started to settle. She feels so good, so right, he thought. He lay his head back and started to sing softly, one of the songs he'd heard as a child and that he'd used with the boys. When he looked back at the monitor, he saw that Miriah was sleeping and drifted off himself, his arms and his heart both full.


	14. Chapter 14

Miriah felt heavy, and when she tried, she couldn't move her arms. Panic snaked up her spine and she shivered. White hot pain engulfed her then, and she gasped, trying to cry out. She realized her hands were on cloth, and she griped with both hands, just before the pain erupted in her skull and she sank into blissful unconsciousness again.

Corso felt the tremble, and then his shirt was in a death grip, then was released again. He opened his eyes to see his wife, still lying on top of him, but the monitor wasn't calm as it had been before. He carefully sat up and shifted Miriah so that he could put her on the other exam bed. As he straightened her, padded with pillows, she again took his shirt in both hands. He brought her fingers to his lips and tried to replace his shirt with his hands, but Miriah was holding fast. After a few minutes, she let go again, but the monitor had started it's alarm, and Lana came running into the room.

"She's in pain," Lana murmured, and went to the medication cabinet. As she drew up something to give Miriah, who had started her faint cry again, Corso watched her carefully. When Lana picked up the infusion line, Corso grabbed her hand.

"I'm trying to trust that you don't want to hurt her," he said through clenched teeth, "but I need to know what it is you're giving her." Lana held up the vial, which Corso had seen her take the seal from, and saw that it was what Miriah herself had given him the last time he'd been injured. He nodded and watched as Lana injected the fluid, and saw Miriah relax and the monitor calm it's frantic bleeps. The numbers slowly settled, and Corso let out a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding. "Sorry," he said, looking sheepishly at Lana.

"It's perfectly fine," Lana replied, her face averted. "I haven't exactly earned your trust." She sighed, and put away the injector as Corso paced at the edge of the room.

"I think I did this," he said. "She was so restless, and I was so careful, but she did sleep lying on me last night." He buried his face in his hands, and was startled when Lana put her hand on his arm.

"I came in and saw you, she was resting better than she did on the exam bed. She was fine. I just think she's trying to come out of this, and it's painful. Every single person I've ever taken out of hibernation was blind and in pain. And, given that when she was frozen, she was in combat, I'm sure she's frightened as well."

"At least she seems okay now. Thanks, Lana," Corso said, and saw the Stih actually blush at his gratitude.

Aric had shared his plan with Mags and Felix, and they had studied it together. "We may not need it at all," Aric had said, "but I want to be prepared." Felix had agreed, and had discussed it with Devin, Logan, Elara and Colin. They were eager to be of help, and had readily agreed to be watchful. Aric had set up a few patrols around the grounds, and since the office was on a hill, it was easier to see around the property. Logan and Elara strolled the area, weapons slung on their backs, while Devin used the force to see if he could feel any other force users. When he realized Miriah was in a lighter state of awareness than she had been before, he made his excuses and went into the medbay.

Corso sat, as usual, beside Miriah, holding her hand. He looked up when Devin approached and gave him a weary smile. "She's trying to wake up, Lana thinks," he said, his loving gaze going back to his wife.

"I can feel that she is more aware, but I also sense her pain. I wish I could take it for her," Devin said, bending to kiss Miriah's cheek. "Aunt Mags is at the house, she said she could feel it as well. She's been crying, because she knows how severe it is for Mom." He saw the horrified look in his father's eyes. "She's okay, we've been using force to help, but she might not be here much." Corso nodded his understanding, the soul link between the sisters meant that what one felt, Mags also felt.

"I'm hopeful we'll be past the worst of it soon," he said, just as he saw the brain waves spike on the monitor. He stood and bent over, realizing that Miriah was trying to speak. Devin reached out with his force aura and he could feel her presence clearly. Corso's eyes went wide when he realized what she was trying to say.

"Corso…. help!" she whispered, ending on a keening cry. Corso gathered her in his arms, while Devin went to find Maura.

"I'm here, my love. Right here," he told her, his voice trembling. Her eyes blinked rapidly, and she looked scared.

"Can't….see...you," Miriah replied, shaking with pain and nausea. Every movement made it worse, but she couldn't control it.

"I know, it's the carbonite, it will fade."

"Hurts...bad" Her hands grasped his shirt but she seemed less frantic in his arms, and he gently kissed her head.

"We're getting you something now, darlin'. Hold on to me, I'm right here." Corso looked around wildly, finally seeing Maura's booted feet flying down the stairs. "Maura is here, she's going to get you some pain meds." He nodded as Maura gathered the supplies to relieve her sister's agony.

"Love….you...all" Miriah got out before the medication took her under again, and all three in the room wiped tears, joy mixed with anguish. Corso took a deep breath and let it out.

"I can't stand to see her in pain, never could," he said. He sat silently for a few minutes before he spoke again. "I'm thinking that maybe she might not hurt as much in a real bed. Is there any medical reason we can't take her to the house?" he asked Maura.

Maura mulled the idea over. "If we can keep her quiet and in a darkened room, I don't see why we couldn't move her. Apparently the monitoring isn't needed anymore, if she can communicate." She walked over to where Corso sat and patted his shoulder. "Let's get her home."

"I'll go get things moving at the house," Devin said, and sprinted up the stairs. "I'll send a message when we're ready there," he called back. Maura had to smile, seeing Devin lighthearted was a gift.

Aric made his way into the medbay. "What's going on? Devin was practically levitating toward the ranch house."

Corso grinned up at his friend. "Miriah spoke, she knew me," he said, unable to hold it in. "We're moving her to the house."

"Hmm," Aric mused. "A little more difficult to defend, but additional security with the system you have in place there. We'll alter the routes, shouldn't be a problem" He caught Maura in a hug, and said into her ear, "She's really okay?" At Maura's nod, he swept her off her feet, twirling around with his wife in his arms. Corso laughed, a true laugh that he hadn't let loose in years.

All their hearts were light as Corso carried his wife in his arms down the hill and across a field. Aric and Maura walked with him, and Devin, Logan and Colin walked ahead, making sure there was nothing that might cause Corso to trip or stumble. When he stepped onto the deck, Sarai and Magdalane stood to meet them, Calypso between them. The young girl's smile said it all, and she couldn't help but lightly touch her mother as she passed.

Corso got Miriah settled, and when he put her down he could see that she relaxed into the supple sheets and soft mattress. Calypso had followed him, and stood silently at the foot of the bed. Corso saw her, and motioned her to come closer. "She's resting, Caly. She's in a lot of pain right now, and because of the carbonite, she's temporarily blind, but Mom is definitely back, Before she went back to sleep, she said she loves us all." Calypso couldn't hold back the tears that she'd held inside for five years, and when the dam broke, Corso held her.

"I always thought it might have been because of me," Calypso said. "That maybe I'd been bad, or done something that made her go away." She sniffled, the shoulder of Corso's shirt soaked through.

"No, sweetie. She would have been her if she could have. She loves you so much, Calypso." Corso sat with his daughter until she grew drowsy. It surprised no one that the girl stretched across the foot of the bed to nap, and Corso left them for a few minutes. My girls, he thought. Didn't think I'd get to see them together again, but it sure is good. He smiled all the way to the kitchen.

Miriah opened sightless eyes and knew instantly she was home. In her own bed, her own sheets and pillow. She reached around for anything, and at once felt a small hand in her own. "Calypso?" she whispered, and felt her daughter's cheek against the back of her hand. "Sweet…. girl," she got out before she succumbed to sleep, but Calypso held fast, her heart beginning to heal, too.

Devin sought Lana out, and found her in the bunker. "Mom is at the house, so gather your stuff. We have a room ready for you there."

Lana hesitated. "I'm not sure I should," she said. "I don't want to be in the way."

"We need you there, in case Mom needs something," Devin said, picking up a few supplies from the medbay. "More than that, you are welcome there, Lana. Believe that." He stood looking at her, waiting for her to get her bag. After a moment, Lana turned toward her gear and picked up the bag. "Excellent," Devin said, his smile huge. When he'd walked her down and shown her where to put her things, they went to check on Miriah.

The first thing they saw was Calypso, and it warmed Devin's heart. His sister had grieved in her own way, apart from everyone else, and he was glad to see her there. Devin saw his dad as he came in from the hallway. "Does she look okay, Lana? Anything we need to do?" he asked.

"No, she seems peaceful," Lana said. "I can certainly see why she was resistant to….things. This must be Calypso?" Corso nodded. "Such a pretty daughter. I swear to you, her presence in your family was not documented in Imperial files." Calypso stirred at the voices, and slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Mom's okay," she told her brother, her smile bright. She stood and made her way to her grandmother, and they watched her go.

"It's been hard on us all," Corso said softly, "but we're all together now, and things are getting better every second." It had been so long since he'd seen his father's innate positivity that Devin was taken by surprise and laughed. Miriah stirred, and at once Corso was beside her, Devin behind him.

"Dev?" she said, and when his force covered her, she smiled. They spoke without words for a couple of minutes before Devin broke their link and let her rest.

"She's scared and still not sure what's happened. I didn't tell her much other than that we're all here and she should take her time." He turned to Lana. "She said not to kill you."

"That's always good," Lana said dryly, her eyebrows arched. Devin and Corso laughed again, and Devin and Lana retreated to the kitchen, where everyone gathered for an update. While Devin talked to everyone, Magdalane walked down the hallway to see her sister for herself. The waves of pain had been dulled by meds, but were still present. She approached Miriah, and touched her hand. Miriah immediately gripped her, and Mags could hear her sister in her mind. She tried to calm her, but eventually turned to Corso.

"She wants to know everything, Cor. You need to talk to her," Mags said, and put Miriah's hand in his. The silver eyes he loved opened to him, and she whispered.

"Tell...me" she said haltingly, her voice soft.

"Miriah, love, I've seen you close to death more times than I ever wanted," he started, his deep, melodic voice instantly soothing her. "But being told you were dead was a million times worse." She gripped his hand harder.

"What?...dead?...where...was..I?"

He told her of the discovery of her ship, the evidence that suggested she'd been killed, and how they had all tried to go on without her. Tears streaked down her face as he talked, and when he choked up telling her about the headstone, she cried out. "You're getting tired," he said, when her grip loosened. "I'll tell you more later, darlin'. Rest now." He kissed her forehead but she wouldn't release his hands.

"Stay.. with..me," she said. "Please?"

"I'll always stay with you, love," he replied.

"Here." Corso stretched out beside her, and she was quiet. After a few minutes, he felt her shiver, and shifted her closer, his body heat calming and warming her. Her hands relaxed but didn't let go, and when Lana came to check on her, she could see her patient and ally was resting, if not completely pain free.

Sometimes, Lana thought, that's enough.


	15. Chapter 15

Darth Marr paced the deck of the small, nondescript shuttle. Dantooine, he snorted silently. Why would she go there? He had been searching for Lana Beniko for months, and the only intel he'd gotten pointed him to this small backwater planet. He turned again to his crew, who awaited his instructions. They were in orbit, and as soon as he could pinpoint Beniko, he was prepared to land. His eyes glowed as he felt several force users, and he suddenly sat. There was one, he thought, that will make either a formidable enemy or an unequaled ally. He puzzled over that for several minutes before nodding at the pilot. He'd soon learn what the circumstances were here, he mused.

Corso had fallen asleep after he'd gotten Miriah to sip a little broth, exhausted from the last few days of uncertainty. Miriah insisted he sleep with her, and when she woke him in the middle of the night for more pain meds, he happily assisted her, thankful that she was fighting as hard as she was. They'd gotten settled again when she whispered against his neck, "How long?"

Corso sighed. He'd been waiting for this, unsure about what exactly to tell her. He knew she deserved the truth, but he hated to tell her that she'd missed so much of the kid's lives. When he remained silent, she asked again. He turned to kiss her forehead. "It had been five years, three weeks, six days and fourteen hours from the time I was told you were dead until the day we took you out of the carbonite chamber." He felt her stiffen, and wasn't surprised when the tears she'd been trying to hold back trailed down his neck into his collar. "Calypso is ten years old. The Empire and Republic have been all but decimated by this war with the Zakuul, and most of the Republic army units have been disbanded. Logan came home three weeks ago, and brought Elara. They were married in Sarai's garden that first week." He felt her gasp and the tears start anew. "Shhh sweetheart. I know, I hate you've got to hear this." He felt her shudder and sniff. "Logan came in this evening, he's taking over ranch operations now. You were sleeping, but he wanted to at least see you. He'll be able to spend some time with you tomorrow." Miriah continued to weep for her children and the time she'd lost with them, wondering why Lana had taken her all those years before.

"But...why?" she asked when she could speak again.

"Lana says you are the one person who can turn the tide against this Eternal Emperor, Valkorian. You're a very valuable person, love." He smoothed her hair off her damp forehead, and she lifted her face to his. "I love you, so very much. Just concentrate on getting better, and we'll take the rest as it comes, okay?" She nodded, and he bent to kiss her lips for the first time since she'd been rescued. As she drifted into sleep again, he worried. Worried that someone would be made to pay for what she'd lost, when he only wanted her, safe and here in his arms.

Lana felt the dark side force user but was unsure of who it was. She didn't feel malice from her force scan, but knew that there were few who would seek her out, and could guess who the Sith was. She went to find Devin to let him know what was going on, and wasn't surprised to see him in the moonlight, on his knees, deep in a meditative trance. She sat on a deck chair, waiting for him. When the young Jedi emerged from his state, he looked directly at her. "There is a Sith coming here. Why?" he asked.

"I am sure it is an old ally, and one that is known to your parents as well. He knows, as I do, that Miriah has a role in this next phase of our galaxy. You do, as well, Devin." She looked up at the twinkling stars. "He has come to see for himself that she is recovering."

Maura felt Aric's arms around her and sighed. Miriah was getting better, and they'd returned to their home for the night. As good as it felt to be in her husband's arms, it was even better to think that Corso was holding Miriah tonight in much the same way. When Aric spoke, his voice low but so close to her ear, she jumped. "What's bugging you, hon? We're warm and in a soft bed, and we got to tire each other out a bit before." He nibbled her ear, drawing her closer.

"Nothing at all, I'm just thinking about what's next. Lana says that Miriah is the catalyst in a war that could destroy us all, and right now she can't even hold her head up. I'm just worried it's all too much, and if something happens to her, we might as well put Corso down. He won't survive it." I won't either, she thought.

"So we make sure she's got support. The whole family is here. Calleigh is staying here, too, now that she sees the safety. We've got her back, their backs, just as we always have." He turned her toward him. "All those years of planning and not doing have made us a little soft, but we can fix that." He kissed her softly, and stroked her auburn hair. "I'm actually looking forward to doing something, anything, to restore the Republic."

Maura knew Aric had missed doing missions, but she also knew they needed work. She was going through a workout plan in her head when she felt her mate gently snore. She smiled, and put away her thoughts.

Miriah woke and realized she felt better. She was by herself, which made her panic for a moment. When she opened her eyes, she could see a little light, but that was all. Damn, she thought, I really want to be back to myself. She found she could move a little, and managed to roll onto her side. I want a bath and some food, she decided. She was trying to sit up when Corso entered the room, and he rushed to her side, helping her sit up and putting pillows behind her. "I brought you some food, and Mags made you hot chocolate," he told her.

"Good, I'm famished," she said softly, her voice still recovering as well as her body. She managed to eat a few bites before she tired, and sipped her hot chocolate through a straw. Corso thought she'd gone back to sleep, but then she asked him to put her in the bath.

"Are you sure, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Please," she whispered. He left her to run the water, and added her favorite bath salts that he'd never been able to throw away. When it was ready, he undressed her and carried her, placing her carefully into the hot, fragrant water. The look of pure pleasure on her face warmed him, and he smiled. He'd put towels on the warmer when he'd run the water, and just sat on the floor beside her. When she'd had enough, he lifted her out and wrapped her up, carrying her to the bed to dress her. He'd just finished when Logan knocked.

"Mom?" he said, and Miriah's eyes flew open.

"Logan!" she cried softly, and reached out her arm. He immediately sat on the edge of the bed and hugged her, trying not to hurt her but needing to feel her. "Your wife?" Logan motioned for Elara to come closer, and Miriah reached out her hand again. Elara took it gently.

"I know this isn't ideal," Elara said, "but it's so good to see you. Mom sends her love."

"It's great…. to meet you," Miriah said. "Logan sounds... so happy." She tried to stay awake, but the food and the bath were making her tired, and she started to drift off. Just before she did, she heard Logan's voice.

"Love you, Mom, so much," he said, and she squeezed his hand. He realized she'd tired and stood, turning into Elara's embrace. "I missed her more than I thought possible," he told his wife, knuckling away tears. Corso hugged them both before resuming his post at Miriah's side. He'd given her some pain meds, but not as much as yesterday, and he hoped she'd be able to rest for a bit. He'd just settled in with his datapad when Maura, Sarai and Magdalane entered the room. He looked up and took off the glasses he used for reading now.

"Family meeting?" he asked.

"No, son, we just wanted to be here," Sarai answered, going to sit by Miriah's other side. "It still seems a bit surreal, after all that time, to see her here." She touched her daughter's hand and Corso saw the force light slide over his wife. "She's better," Sarai declared.

"She is. She ate some eggs this morning and asked for a bath, and it tired her out. I gave her the dose you left, Maura."

"Good. I think we can lower it today, unless she tells me otherwise." They sat in silence, but it was a warm, contented silence. Mirah stirred after a bit and opened her eyes.

"Corso?" she said, reaching out. He took her hand.

"Your mom and sisters are here, my love. I'm going to go find you something to eat and drink, but your mom is on your other side." He kissed her hand and saw her reach for her mother. When he entered the kitchen, he saw Devin and Lana talking.

"Dad, there's a Sith lord that's going to visit, but it's okay," Devin said. They explained who he was and why he was here, but Corso still felt that protective instinct. "I've told Uncle Aric, he's going to keep his eyes open for him."

"As long as he doesn't upset your mother or sister," Corso said, unconvinced that this could be a good thing.

Miriah was glad to have her mother and sisters around her. "I think...it's been...too long," she said, smiling. They chatted to her and had to touch her, and after a bit Miriah tired. When the others had gone, Mags held her hand and they talked through the force, which was much easier on Miriah. "How are they, really, Mags?" Miriah asked.

"Calypso has grown into a fine young lady," Mags said. "Devin looks much the same, as does Logan, but Mir- they all suffered. I thought we'd lose Corso on more than one occasion. His grief was overwhelming. For five years, he's merely been a shell."

"So what is happening in the galaxy? The last I remember, we'd lost on Ziost."

"There is no Republic or Empire anymore. Coruscant was burning, from the last reports we got. The Outer Rim planets have formed an alliance and so far, Valkorian has left us alone. Tython is gone." Here she paused, remembering the temple and friends who didn't survive the invasion. "Devin and I are going to rebuild what we can of the Order here. Colin and Calleigh are back home, Michi is married and her daughter will be three next month." Mags stopped, letting Miriah take in all she'd been told.

"I missed so much," Miriah said, and sighed.

"But you're here now," Mags said. "And we all are relieved that you're recovering." She broke the link and hugged her sister, leaving her to rest. Corso was on his way down the hall when he met Mags. "She's resting. I told her some things she didn't know, and she might ask about the whole Eternal Emperor thing."

Corso nodded, he'd expected that the sisters had filled Miriah in a bit. He took his datapad and mug of cafffa to the chair beside the bed and settled in, assuming his wife was sleeping. He almost spilled his drink when she spoke. "I love...you," she told him, a tear tracking down her gaunt face. He put his things aside and took her in his arms.

"I love you, Mir, more than I could ever tell you. Are you okay?"

"I..want you.. to be okay."

"I am, love. Now, anyway," he grinned. He was about to kiss her when he heard voices outside. He was settling Miriah against her pillows when the door burst open and a figure in a dark, hooded robe strode in. Lana hurried in behind him, and Corso realized he knew this Sith.

"Darth Marr," he said. "You made it off Yavin 4."

"I did, indeed," Marr said. "I wanted to see with my own eyes the one Lana told me of, so long ago."

Miriah remembered him as well. "I am here, not fully ready for combat but recovering."

"Lana has done well," he said, looking at her. "And I have come to get her. She is needed in other places. Is there anything you need of either her or me?" he asked.

"All I need is time," Miriah replied.

"Very well then, I will contact you when the time is right. Your young Jedi will be required as well." He turned on his heel and was off. Lana stayed for a moment.

"Thank you, for all of this, and for what will come," she told the couple, then hugged Miriah and shook Corso's hand. "I will forever be in your debt." They watched as she hurried away, their past and futures intertwined.


	16. Chapter 16

Marr paced the small conference room of his ship, as Lana sat quietly. They were still in orbit around Dantooine, but he knew they needed to move, to attract the least amount of attention possible to this planet and the people on it. He silently gave the order to his helmsman and they watched as the stars elongated in hyperflight. Marr turned and pierced Lana with a look. "She is not yet ready," he said.

"Of course she's not ready. Five days ago she was still in carbonite," Lana replied, her tone respectful but firm. "The captain is recovering. It will take time. Her family is already getting ready for what will happen next." She already felt their absence. It was as if she'd lost something when she'd boarded this ship, something she hadn't known was important to her until it was gone. Even the ever present push of light sided force was noticeable absent. She frowned, wondering why she'd let herself feel all of this. Her reverie was interrupted when Marr sat across from her, gaining her attention.

"Her family will be part of this as well. I know who they used to be, but what of them now?" he asked.

"They will rise to the occasion, that I can promise. Aric Jorgan already has a plan for them." She put her head in her hands. "I am more concerned that her family will see an opportunity for revenge before the time is right." She had seen the potential for this in the way they had all rallied around the captain. She felt disjointed and out of place on the shuttle. "I...I am quite tired, my lord. I will rest for a while." At his nod, she found the crew section and fell into the bunk. Her thoughts kept returning to the ranch house, and sleep did not come easily.

Devin and Corso had helped Miriah take a few steps, and she slept most of the afternoon. Logan and Devin had spent the afternoon with Calypso in their parent's room, quietly talking, all just wanting to be near their mom. Calypso smiled at her brothers. "Mom knew me," she said quietly.

"Of course she did, squirt," Logan told her. "She only has one daughter." He felt more settled than he could remember, and enjoyed his day off with his family. He knew there was more ahead, but he trusted his brother and dad to let him know what was needed. Devin felt his questions about the future, and wondered himself, but he also was willing to not push the issue just yet.

When they'd all eaten dinner, and Miriah had hugged them all, Aric pulled Corso aside. "We need to start doing more training and getting ready. This war will eventually find us. Lana left her ship, told Devin to sell it and use the credits to start rebuilding the temple here." He put his hands on his hips. "Miriah is the key. We all have a part, but she and Devin are the major players here. You gonna be okay with that?" he asked his friend.

"Do you really think that I have a chance in hell of convincing Miriah otherwise?" he chuckled, resigned to the fact that his wife would always choose the greater good over herself. "I've been mulling this over ever since Lana told us of her vision. It's our destiny to be in on this, at least that's how I see it."

"As long as we're prepared. You know we're all in, right?"

"I do know that, it's the main reason I'm not trying to find a place to hide Mir so that she can't go fight. I keep waiting for her to get angry, and swear to kill them all," Corso said on a sigh. "Send the training plan to my datapad, I'll get started tomorrow. Tonight, I need a little more cuddle time. You know, five years to make up for and all." Aric laughed and waved to Corso as he left the house, Maura waiting in the speeder.

Miriah was lightly sleeping, and when Corso had gotten a shower and joined her in the large bed, she turned to him. "Don't worry, sugar." He startled, it was the first time she'd used her favorite pet name for him. "I'm ready...to start some… exercising." He laughed as he gathered her to him.

"I forgot you have super hearing," he said. "And we will not rush your recovery, darlin'. You'll get there but you can't expect to aim a blaster tomorrow."

"I know… I won't let… you down."

"As if you ever could," he replied, kissing her. They slept until Miriah needed more meds, but even that didn't disturb them very much. When the first rays of sunlight filtered into the room, Corso was wakened by Miriah's hands caressing his chest. He put his over hers to still them, and saw a smile curve her lips.

"Has it been...so long… that you forgot… how to love me?" she asked.

"No, darlin', I could never forget that. So many nights I would dream of you, of us, only to wake up alone. It's just been so long that I'm content with having you beside me. For now," he said. Before he could get lost in her kisses, Calypso came to the door and knocked.

"Mom? Are you awake?" she said, hoping that she was but afraid to want it too much.

"Come in," Miriah told her, and before they could move apart, Calypso was jumping on the bed, eager to be with her parents. When she was younger, she'd spent many mornings lying with them, just chatting or reading a book. She was beginning to feel that lighthearted girl come back to life inside her, and she just couldn't contain her happiness. Corso left them talking, and went to find some caffa.

Devin was at the kitchen table, a mug of caffa beside him and his head in his hands. He'd slept very little, having the same nightmare over and over. He wanted to talk to Magdalane about it, but hated to wake her early. Corso crossed to him and sat across from him. "Son, are you okay?" he asked. Devin nodded and took a sip of the steaming brew.

"Nightmares or visions, not sure which," he mumbled. "How's Mom this morning?"

"She's better, says she can see movement today. So what do you think it means?"

"Not really sure, Dad. I'm waiting to talk to Aunt Mags." Logan and Elara came in with platters of breakfast food, eager to share with everyone. When Corso had made a plate for Miriah, he sent Calypso out to eat with her brothers and sat on the side of the bed.

"We have fresh baked berry scones," he told her, pinching the corner of one in a bite sized portion. Miriah opened her mouth for the food, and let the treat fill her with pleasure.

"Elara?" she asked, savoring the bite.

"Yeah, she and Logan brought them up." He patiently fed his wife, glad to see her eating even if it was only a few bites. "Other than the sight, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"A little stronger. I want to quit the meds today, they just make me sleepy," she told him, taking the scone from his hand and breaking off another piece. "I need to start doing things on my own, starting with walking."

"How can you be so stubborn? You can't see where to go, Mir, and even you know you need rest to recover. Now, just settle a bit. You'll soon be doing whatever you like, but at least for now, you have to give your body time." He grew quiet as she stilled.

"I'm never going to get it back, am I? I'll never get to see Calypso's first day of school, or Logan's wedding." She threw the scone in her hand, and her cheeks turned pink. Corso knew that this was coming, he'd already decided he'd be mad too if he'd been in her place, and said nothing. Miriah curled up on her side, shutting him out, and he left her to grieve for the time she'd lost.

Devin rode his speeder to his aunt's house. Magdalane met him as he dismounted, and hugged him tightly. "Yes, I know, I had the same vision," she told him, even though he'd said nothing.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Why don't you describe it, and we'll figure it out," she soothed.

"I see a vast battleground, and two men, I think they're brothers, fighting both Republic army forces and Imps. One has cybernetics and one doesn't," he said, lost in his thoughts. "They are relentless, and eventually they are the only ones standing." He looked at his aunt for confirmation, and saw her nod.

"That is my vision as well."

"This is who Lana wants Mom to fight, isn't it?"

"Yes, this is Valkorian's forces, his sons, in fact." Magdalane stood to make them tea, and to give herself a moment to gather her own thoughts. She'd been seeing some version of this same vision for months now, and remembered her own shock at the destruction of life. When she turned, she saw that Devin had made up his mind to fight. "Dev, we will all be with Miriah when the time comes, do not take this fight up prematurely."

"How can I let my mother face this...this evil! She's just been through hell, and Dad has as well! They don't need this!" He stood to pace, but halted at his aunt's facial expression.

"It is her destiny, Dev. She is the key. You also have a large role to play, but ultimately it is Miriah who is the one." She sat and sipped, giving the young Jedi a moment to see her logic. When it hit him, he sat heavily.

"So, we train and get ready. Lana told me to sell her ship and rebuild the Jedi temple here. Have you heard from any survivors or other Jedi who need sanctuary?"

"There are forty who are on the way here now. The barracks at the old temple have been cleaned and readied," she answered, smiling at the shocked look he wore. "I had to have some way to work out the waiting for you guys to get Mir and come back."

"I'll go into town tomorrow and see about the sale. I'm sure Dad will send all the meat we could need, and I can negotiate for other staples." He rose and hugged his aunt. "I want to do this right, and I'll need your help."

"Of course, whatever you need." He said his goodbyes and left his aunt to wonder how he'd grown up so fast. She was proud of him, and knew he'd find a way to preserve the Jedi tradition.

Corso went to check on his wife. When he saw Miriah still curled up in a ball, he scooped her up and held her. "All we can do is go forward, love," he whispered to her as he smoothed her hair. "Feel like trying a few steps?" She nodded and unfolded herself, and he steadied her to stand. After a few steps, her legs gave away and he caught her up again. "That's two more than yesterday. Progress!" She smiled weakly at him and he took her into the refresher, running her bath and keeping up a stream of chatter. When he turned back to her, tears were streaming down her face.

"I got so lucky when I landed on Ord Mantell so many years ago," she said softly. He cupped her face and kissed her gently.

"No, darlin'. I count my blessings daily for meeting up with you. Even when you were supposed to be dead, I was so thankful to have you in my life." He helped her stand and undress, and she slipped into the fragrant hot water.

Aric looked from the holo to Maura, Mags telling them of the plans for the old temple grounds. "This is it, isn't it? The beginning of the return of the Republic?"

"I believe it is the start, yes," Magdalane answered. "There is a lot to do. We need to get things running over there." She told him of what she'd already done, and what Devin had planned.

"Sounds like a good start. Colin and I will go over first thing tomorrow, see what we can help with." Mags thanked him and clicked off. Aric hugged Maura to him. "Still got some fight left in me, what about you, hon?" He chuckled when she punched his arm. "That's what I thought."


	17. Chapter 17

Corso woke and stretched, and turned over to hug his wife. When the bed beside him was empty, he felt panic wash over him. Where could she have gone, he wondered. Then he heard the shower, and ran in to see Miriah sitting on the bench, her eyes closed enjoying the cascade of water. She must have felt him, because she turned to him. "I can see! It's blurry, but I can see things today." She sounded much stronger than she had since she'd been freed, but he still worried.

"Stay right there, Mir. I'll be just a minute," he told her, undressing while pulling towels out.

"I'm fine, sugar, but you know I always enjoy showering with you," she purred. He felt heat in his face, and then the warmth of the water as he sat beside her, grabbing her shampoo and starting on her hair. He knew he had to keep his hands busy, because his brain had lost dibs on the blood supply. He did manage to get her rinsed off and out of the shower, but dressed in only a towel, she pulled his head down for a long kiss. When she broke it, they both had blurry vision, and he picked her up to take her back to the bed. They didn't count on their daughter waiting patiently for them.

"Mom! Dad! Good morning!" Calypso said, a mug in each hand. Corso put Miriah between them, and groaned when she slid sensuously down his body to stand. "I brought you guys some caffa and cocoa. I'll let you get dressed and come out for breakfast." The happy girl put the mugs down and danced down the hallway, leaving Miriah grinning and Corso struggling to even out his breathing.

"Soon, love," he whispered against her lips, as he sat her down on the bed. He handed her clothing and put his own on, and when she stood on her own, he looked at her in surprise. "Wow, you are feeling stronger today."

"Just stay with me, I'm going to try to walk down the hallway." Miriah took halting steps, but was out the door on her own. Halfway to the kitchen, her knees buckled, and Corso was there. He steadied her and stood for a few seconds to rest, and assisted her the rest of the way. "It's definitely progress," she said, her eyes sparkling.

"Sure is," he agreed, sitting her down at the table. "Just don't overdo things, promise?" Miriah nodded her agreement, and sipped her cocoa. She was determined to get stronger, starting today. She knew Aric and Maura would be there soon to use their workout room, and she was going to be working, too. She was thinking about what she might be able to start with when Calypso came bounding into the room with hair things in a little basket.

"Mom, let me do your hair. It's so long now," she said, and climbed up on a short stool to brush the long strands. Miriah smiled, Calypso had always loved her hair. She reminded herself that as much as she wanted to start getting her body ready to fight, she owed her daughter some girl time. Calypso hummed as she wove an intricate braid, and Miriah could feel her contentment. Calypso finished just as Corso pushed an omelet across the table to her.

"Moving around means you have to eat more, darlin'. I'm guessing you're planning to join us in the training room?"

"Yes, but I can only stretch, probably." Miriah cut a bite of her food, sighing when the flavors exploded on her tongue. It was a relief to be able to see, even it if is blurry, she thought, and do at least basic things for myself. When Aric and Maura joined them and Corso had sat down with them, she did her best to finish her meal, but half was all she could eat. Corso had told them of her progress already, and she closed her eyes for a few seconds, full and warm, her family around her.

Devin was on his way to the temple after setting up an account in town with the ship's proceeds. It had gone for a tidy sum, he thought, and he was eager to see the Jedi who would be landing later this morning. The air was cool, the sun just getting up in the sky, and his heart was light. His mother was home, recovering, and he didn't have to worry about his father any more. He urged the speeder faster, and laughed into the wind. When he reached the temple where he'd once trained, he saw that his aunt's cleaning had gone far beyond the simple. The outside of the main building sparkled in the early sun, and he could feel the force cleansing she'd done as well. He stopped outside the meditation chamber, and remembered the first time he'd gone in to do penance for some transgression in his training. In his mind he could see the small boy he'd been, going into the peaceful room and falling asleep, still on his knees. He smiled and knew for certain that the force had put him here, in this place in this time.

Miriah made her way haltingly to the training room and Calypso helped her down onto her yoga mat. It felt so good to be lying there, but she knew she needed to be moving. Slowly she stretched long dormant muscles, testing their strength. She could see Aric and Corso running on the treadmills, and Maura lifting weights. We all have our methods, she thought, and after a few more stretches, relaxed into the mat, more tired than she thought she'd be. The steady beat of the shoes on the machines lulled her, and she closed her eyes again. She woke when Corso picked her up, and protested. "I need to do it myself," she said, but she knew she'd pay the price for what she'd already put her body through today and allowed him to take her to her bed.

Devin watched as the Jedi filed out of the shuttle, and a sudden jolt in the force made him turn his head. He looked over at the milling crowd of brown and black robed figures and saw the sunlight illuminate the platinum blond hair of someone he knew. He rushed forward and hugged the petite sage he'd met on his first day of training at the temple on Tython. "Mia!" he said, smiling down at her as he put her feet back on the ground. "It's awesome to see you!"

"It is wonderful to see you as well, my friend. Now I understand why the force led me here," she smiled. "I am looking forward to rebuilding here." He couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he helped her and the others unload their meager belongings and get settled in the barracks area of the temple.

Magdalane could feel the sudden influx of force users on the planet and smiled to herself. She also felt the jolt that Devin had felt when he saw Mia. Well, well, she thought, that's interesting. She knew that Devin had no real equal when it came to the force, but she saw this young woman as a perfect compliment to her nephew. They shared a bond, she thought, and hummed softly as she went about her morning chores. Interesting indeed, she mused.

Sarai had done her morning workout and gone into the kitchen to cook. A lot of bodies, she thought, but their bodies must be fed as well as their souls. She had two huge pots of bantha stew going and was about to put fresh bread into the oven when she felt the sudden surge of force. It made her smile, and remember her work with padawans before she'd retired. She'd checked the crystal in her saber the evening before, and deemed it ready. Now, she thought, we'll see how much I can actually still do. It did make her feel useful to cook for the group, but she knew that until she held her twin bladed saber and felt the hum of power infusing it, she wouldn't feel complete. Felix and Magdalane were coming to help her get the food to the temple, and she sat down to rest until they got there.

Maura turned to Aric, who was wiping sweat off his face, and grinned. "Feels good to be active again," she said. "I want to see about ordering some armor, if there's anyone out there who can still supply durasteel." Aric looked over his wife's body, letting his eye roam and ignite little fires along her skin.

"I've said it before, you're the only woman I've ever seen that makes durasteel look good," he growled, stepping closer to her. "Full body armor, assault cannon on your shoulder, mmmm I can see it now." He took her arm in his and let her out the door, giggling.

Corso showered as quietly as he could. He knew Miriah had tired herself out, and wanted her to be able to rest. When he'd redressed, he made his way to the kitchen to make a little lunch for them, and Logan joined him. "Dad, how's Mom doing today?" he asked, taking some cookies from the jar on the island.

"She can see today, not perfectly but better. She also took some steps and ate almost a whole omelet this morning." He pulled sandwich things from the cooler and placed them on the counter, as Logan washed his hands. When all the items he wanted were out, Logan started putting bread in the oven to warm and sliced the ronto. By the time they'd finished putting it all together, Miriah stood at the doorway.

"Something smells delicious," she said. Just the sight of her husband and son together made her heart smile. They took the sandwiches outside, and Corso returned to help her to the porch. "Oh I'm so glad you thought of this!" she said, taking her usual spot on the swing. Corso handed her a plate and they ate in contented silence. When they'd finished, Corso took the plates inside and Logan hugged his mom.

"You look beautiful, Mom. I'm guessing Calypso did your hair?"

"She did, and nicely," Miriah answered with a smile. "How is Elara doing with all the changes? I know how the ranch can take over." Logan was telling her how his first couple of weeks had been, and how the adjustment from the army life had been, when Corso returned. He pulled her against his chest and set the swing in motion, and suddenly life snapped into place. This spot, this man, her son. It was all she needed, and at least for the moment, she let the uncertainty and anger go.

Devin and Magdalane had worked to get everyone settled and by late afternoon, he was feeling the long day. When the bantha stew was served up, the group murmured thanks to Sarai, and Devin gave her a hug. "Thanks, Nana. I think it was the perfect choice. Dad is sending a freezer over with meat from the ranch, and I have two local gardens that will sell us produce until we have our own going here." Sarai sat across from him, her own bowl in her hands.

"Everything is good, Dev. You've done a great job, you and Mags, getting things going. Now, with this group, they'll start to do their parts." She saw his gaze wander over to the small woman who was walking toward them. She said nothing, but observed her grandson. His eyes say it all, she thought. He looks at her the way Corso looks at Miriah. Even if he doesn't realize it yet. She smiled as Mia was introduced, and left them shortly, still chatting.

Felix caught up to Magdalane as she returned from the temple. "How's everyone getting on over there," he asked.

"It's perfect. I think this is a new beginning. I still haven't heard from any of the Council, but I can't imagine they would oppose the continuation of the Order. I'm not even sure at this point who made it off Tython." She put her feet up on the deck chair as she reclined. "It would be a shame if we lost them all, but I can't explain why none of them have responded. Especially Grandmaster Shan. If she were able, she would have at least sent a message."

"I know you're worried..." Felix started, but Mags interrupted him.

"Not really. If they didn't survive the onslaught, then they are one with the force. If they did, and just haven't gotten word out, they will. Either way, they're still with us, in spirit or in corporeal form." She smiled her Jedi smile, and saw Felix shake his head. She really couldn't explain it any other way, so she left it. When darkness fell and he stood to go inside, he held out his hand. She put hers in it, and pulled him to her. "I know it's not the norm, it's just how we see life. I'm sorry it doesn't make sense," she whispered.

"As long as I have you in corporeal form, dear, I can accept it." As they walked to the door, Mags looked up at the start and sent a little prayer through the force, for those here and those lost.

Devin made it back to the ranch house close to midnight. He crept inside, hoping he wouldn't wake anyone. He'd spoken to his dad after dinner, and Corso had filled him in on how his mother was doing. He was conflicted, he was happy that Miriah was recovering, but he dreaded the day he would see her in combat. Suddenly, a spike of dark energy entered his awareness. Lana, he thought, she misses being with us here. He had sent her a message thanking her for the ship. He felt the dark energy recede and sighed. So many people have a stake in this. He turned to go to his room, and saw Calypso on the sofa, sound asleep but her mind at rest. She is why we still fight, and those who are defenseless. He pushed that thought aside and made his way down the hall, asleep before he saw Calypso look in on him. She approached him and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. He opened sleepy eyes. "Caly what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she told him. "I just wanted to tell you thank you for bringing Mom home." Tears of joy were in her eyes, and rather than shoo her away, he moved over on the bed, patting it. His sister smiled as she joined him, as she had so many times when she was a toddler. Devin smiled and drifted to sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

Miriah's muscles screamed in anger when she tried to stand. I knew I'd done too much yesterday, she silently groaned. It was still night, and Corso was sleeping deeply. Miriah had dreamed of the final moments on her ship before she was frozen in carbonite, and woke in fear. Luckily, Corso isn't used to working out, and I didn't wake him, she thought. She limped into the refresher and started a hot bath. As the water ran, she sat on the edge of the tub, gently flexing her leg muscles. Once it was ready, she slipped into the hot water with a sigh, and closed her eyes. She was relaxed when Corso stumbled in to find her, and he plopped down on the floor at her side. "I'm sorry, sugar, that you got up," she told him.

"S'ok, darlin'. I'm just glad you're here." He sat silent for a minute. "So many times in the last five years, I've woken up missing you." He yawned and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Tell me," she said, reaching out to trail damp fingers over his cheek. He said nothing for a few minutes, then quietly spoke, his voice rough with sleep.

"I was… I went to a very dark place," he finally admitted. "There were a few months there that I don't even really remember. Aric kept things together with the kids, and finally shook me out of it." He grinned. "He can be a really pushy guy sometimes. That first year was a nightmare, the second not much better, but at least by then I was at least trying to be the dad Calypso needed." He leaned back on the wall. "I was alive, but barely, and most of the time I didn't want to be. I never thought I would have been the type to take my own life, but Mir, I did think about it. More than once." Miriah sat up and cupped his face with her hands.

"I am so glad you didn't carry through, my love. So very glad." She stood and he stood with her, wrapping her with the towel. Miriah had tears in her eyes thinking about the hell he must have gone through, and when they returned to bed, she held him close, stroking his hair. He clung to her, finally slipping back in to sleep. Miriah was too busy alternately fighting tears and anger. Someday, someone would be held accountable, she thought. Finally exhausted, she too slept, and this time she dreamed of being strong enough to strike back.

Devin woke with the first light, as was his custom. He had realized yesterday that he'd been slacking in the Jedi training his masters would have demanded. He had officially served as his aunt's padawan, after leaving Tython, but that had been long ago. He rose and dressed, ready to head out to the temple. He left Calypso sleeping, grinning at her before he dropped a kiss on her head. His dad was awake, but looked like he needed more sleep. "Dad, it's really early. Go back to sleep," he told him, patting his shoulder.

Corso smiled at his son. "I'm too hungry to sleep. Forgot how much training makes you hungry," he told him. Devin saw the makings of chocolate chip pancakes, and immediately decided his dad needed his company. Corso laughed as Devin put his things down and washed his hands, ready to help cook.

"Mom is still asleep?"

"Yeah, she was up a little last night, sore from all the activity yesterday."

"Caly is in my bed," Devin said, and Corso chuckled.

"She always used to do that, even after you had gone," he said. They sat down with stacks of pancakes and enjoyed their meal. As they were finishing, Logan and Elara joined them. Corso made more, and when both sons and his daughter in law were full, he made a few for Miriah and took them into their bedroom. Miriah was awake, and had dressed. "Good morning, love. I wasn't sure if you were still sleeping or not," he told her, bending for a kiss. "How are you feeling?"

"Still a little sore, but the hot bath last night really helped," she told him, standing. She took the plate from him and set it aside, resting her head on his chest. Her hands slid under his shirt, and had him shivering with desire. He closed his eyes as her hands trailed electricity across his torso.

"Mir, are you sure? You're still..."

"Always, sugar." She moved past where he swayed, trying to maintain control, to close and lock the door, then returned to pull him down on the bed. He had both hands full of her lush, thick hair, and their kisses had progressed from tender to torrid. They loved each other well, relishing their connection. For Miriah it didn't seem like so long since she'd been with him, but Corso had counted every second of the five years she'd been gone. He felt like his skin was on fire, he'd wanted her for so long. Her breathless gasps and little moans spurred him on, and after longer that he thought he'd last, they rested, at least momentarily sated.

Magdalane was sitting down to breakfast with Felix, chatting about going to the temple, when she suddenly stopped talking and gave her husband a huge smile. "What?" he asked.

"It's been so long, I'd forgotten to block my little sister," she laughed, blushing. Felix looked confused, and blushed too when he figured it out.

Thank the stars Caly slept late this morning, Miriah thought, catching her breath. She was still in her husband's arms, and he had that look in his eye, the one that wanted to keep her in bed for the rest of the day. "Aren't Aric and Maura coming over soon?" she asked.

"Mmmhmm" was her only answer, and she smiled. He still wants me, she thought, and it delighted her. She slid gracefully to her feet, despite his protests, and got ready for the day. Corso sighed, and did the same. As they made their way out of their room, they heard the holo going and rounded the corner to see their daughter eating and watching a kid's show. Miriah crossed the room to kiss Calypso's cheek and got a hug as well, the girl entranced with her program. They moved through the kitchen and saw Aric and Maura already in the training room.

"Wow, I figured you'd already had your workout today," Aric smirked, his strides on the treadmill steady and even. Maura giggled, and Miriah blushed at his words.

"Five years, Aric. Five," was all Corso replied as he started the second treadmill. After a few miles of running, the men moved on to weights, while Maura pulled up another mat beside her sister.

"Are you really doing okay, Mir?" Maura asked.

"I'm really good," Miriah replied. "I was pretty sore last night, but I'm getting stronger." Maura followed her sister through a basic stretching workout before Miriah collapse on the mat. "Stronger, but not there yet. I don't even think I could hold a blaster long enough to get a good sight on a target." She sighed and rolled onto her stomach, looking at Maura. "I decided last night that I can't kill Marr or Lana." She said it so matter-of-factly that Maura didn't realize what she'd said for a moment.

"Miriah! Of course you can't! I mean, I get that Lana took you and that Marr knew about it, but ultimately I think they had good intentions."

Miriah gave her sister a determined look. "They put my family through hell. Corso told me last night that there were times he didn't want to live. How can they justify that?" Maura had no answer, but sat thinking. Finally she spoke.

"Channel that into getting our world back, Mir. Into getting justice for the destruction of Tython and Coruscant." They sat in silence, Maura's words sinking in. After a few minutes, Corso and Aric joined them.

"Hey, let's get everyone down here and cook," Corso said, heading for the kitchen.

"I'll go call Mags," Maura volunteered, and headed out to the family room. Aric sat down beside his sister in law, stretching his long legs in front of him.

"Thank you," she said to him, grasping his hand.

"For what, Spitfire?" he asked, curiosity in his brilliant green eyes.

"Keeping Corso from doing something terrible while I was gone." Instantly Aric sobered, and he sighed.

"He's like my brother, how could I let him get so far down before I stepped in? I feel like I should have intervened earlier."

"I'm not sure he would have listened, Aric. At any rate, I owe you, for both our lives." She had tears in her eyes, which made Aric hug her.

"Hug your own wife," Corso teased as he rejoined them, making them all laugh. He helped Miriah to her feet and walked with her over to the table, sitting her down before getting her something to eat and drink. They all chatted and when Logan came in from the fields, they included him in the dinner invitation.

"It'll feel like old times," Logan remarked. They all agreed, and when they all parted the plan was set. Corso was determined that Miriah rest some, and took her to the porch swing. She slept while he held her and kept the swing in a gentle rocking motion.

Devin had received the dinner invitation on his datapad, and grinned. Sarai was right, the other Jedi had organized and started working as a single unit, getting the meals and cleanup done without issue. They had even started interviewing force sensitives for training, gaining three young men already. Yes, he thought, this will be where we start over. He had seen his Nana earlier, with her saber, going through the most basic forms with the padawans, and it made him smile. He thought about his old masters, and felt a moment of nostalgia and pain, knowing they did not survive the onslaught of the Zakuul. Mia felt his momentary sadness, and looked up from her position in the garden, finding his eyes. He felt her calming presence and nodded, thanking her. He suddenly had an idea, and took the steps two at a time down to where she was standing.

"Mia, I have an invitation for you. Would you accompany me to dinner at my parent's ranch?" he asked. When she hesitated, he reassured her. "We are Jedi, they know there is only friendship." When she finally accepted, he felt the loosening of the tension he'd been holding, and it made him pause. Mia had already turned to her gardening, and he had many more tasks to finish today, so he let it go and went on his way, humming to himself.

By evening, everyone was excited to finally have an impromptu celebration of Miriah's return. She was forced to the sidelines, but was still in the middle of things. When Elara brought a cake up from the guest house, one of Miriah's own recipes, she teared up and hugged her daughter in law. Michi and her husband, along with Maura's twins and their younger daughter made the family gathering complete, and the ranch house was filled with smiles and good wishes. Devin brought Mia around to the deck, where he knew his parents were likely to be, and introduced her to Corso, who was manning the grill. He graciously greeted her before he hugged her, much to Mia's surprise. Miriah slowly walked over to say hello, and also hugged the young Jedi.

Mia felt the joy and happiness that filled the crowd and couldn't help but be buoyed by it. Her heart was light as she ate and enjoyed this family, understanding that they had really been through a trial. "Your family is lovely," she told Devin as he took her back to the temple. "Thank you for inviting me."

"It was really great to see everyone together, and happy," he replied. They had entered the temple and Devin stopped the speeder. He was moving to get out when Mia put her hand on his arm.

"Don't, Dev. I'll just be on my way to meditate. I enjoyed the evening, thank you again."

"It was my pleasure," he told her as she waved to him. He started off, humming again, and wondered why he felt both a little let down as well as content.

Corso surveyed the deck and saw Aric and Maura dancing, Mags and Felix in the same deck chair and Miriah walking toward him. He dropped the cleaning brush he held and took her in his arms, slowly dancing with her. She put her head on his chest and leaned into him, the day catching up to her not quite back to normal self. He felt her fatigue and just held her. "Darlin', go get in the bath. I can handle this, and you are exhausted."

"I just want to be where you are," she whispered, tilting her head to look at him,her silver eyes reflecting the moonlight. He kissed her then, unable to resist. Logan came over to hug his parents, and he and Elara set off down the hill for the guest house, and Aric and Felix had stood to start the clean up. The sisters helped Miriah inside, and the contentment of the evening carried over. By the time everyone had left, Corso found his wife on the sofa, and when he gently placed her in their bed, she held onto him. That was fine with him, and they ended the day much as they'd begun it, one more step back to normal.


	19. Chapter 19

After a week of working on her strength, Miriah was finally on the shooting range. Her trusty blaster in her hand, she finally felt like herself again. The targets were set up, Aric was putting his ear protection on, and she watched for his signal. When he pointed at her, she caressed the trigger and was rewarded with a neat grouping of holes in the target. Ten shots at a time, then a new target. On and on she worked, until she felt confident her vision and her aim were true. "Nice, very nice, Spitfire," Aric told her. "Just as accurate as ever." He replaced the power pack in the compact blaster and slapped it into her waiting palm. "Another round?" he asked.

"One more," she said, already feeling the fatigue in her forearms. She braced herself and breathed, getting kill shot after kill shot. She put the blaster down after the last target was decimated and grinned. Yeah, she thought, I've still got it! She knew Corso was behind her, the chemistry they'd always had, had only grown stronger. She glanced over her shoulder and saw him, arms crossed over his chest, watching her closely for any problems. She waved at him and caught his smile as he opened the glass door and walked to her.

"Great job, darlin'. I never thought you'd have any trouble, just want to make sure you're holding out okay physically." He pulled her in for a kiss, and for a few moments they weren't aware of anything around them. Aric finally broke them apart with a cough.

"We'll be back here tomorrow, and next time, bring the shotgun. We'll sight it in, since it's new." Her old one had been shattered in the battle aboard her ship. Miriah nodded at him and, hand linked with Corso's, walked out to the speeder.

"Let's go get some lunch and then maybe we can find other things to do," he told her, pushing a long strand of ebony hair behind her ear. She gave him a sultry smile and agreed. When they arrived home, Calypso had warmed some stew for them, and they sat with her to eat. Once done, Caly was going to play with her cousin at Sarai's house. She took the small speeder, after being cautioned about her speed by her father, and set off over the far hill. Corso turned to look at his wife, who was standing by the door. He walked quickly to her and kissed her. "The house is ours, my beautiful one." She didn't need words to say what he wanted to hear, and he kissed her again, picking her up and wrapping her legs around his waist. They made their way to their bedroom, hungry for each other even though they'd stayed up late the night before. That had been sweet, romantic, and lovely, Miriah thought. But that's not what I want today. She slid down and in the same motion, pulled his shirt over his head, nipping at his shoulder as he pulled her on top of him. Corso felt her raw need, and it fed his own. He feared hurting her or worse, but when she threw her head back and rode him, her hair tumbling down and her eyes closed in ecstasy, he couldn't hold himself back any longer.

Miriah lay on her side, letting the breeze of the overhead fan cool her sweat slicked skin. Corso was snoring gently, and she turned to watch him sleep. He was fit, but she could tell he'd lost weight in the past few years. His face was the same, and she gently touched his cheek. Her smile turned into a frown as she thought of how he'd spent the time she'd been away, and the anger started again. Why did both the Republic and the Empire fold so easily, she wondered. What made this Valkorian and the Zakuul so powerful? She stretched and lay on her back, looking at the lazy circles of the fan. What do I do now? I'm not really ready to go off in search of this madman, at least not yet. What is it that Marr and Lana expect? Corso threw his arm over her, trailing his calloused fingertips over the soft skin of her thigh, and she let the anger go for the time being, consumed with his touch.

Aric had been pondering many of the same questions Miriah had, and Maura saw him in deep thought outside on their small deck. She took fresh caffa out for them both, and sat down in the chair with him. "Hey there, love," he told her, taking the mug she offered. He took a sip and sighed, closing his eyes.

"Solving the galaxy's problems?" she asked, looking at him over her own mug and seeing his smile.

"Wondering what the next step is," he grunted, taking another big gulp. She smoothed his furrowed brow with her fingertips.

"I know it's difficult to not worry about the tactics and plan, but sweetie, there's no way Miriah is ready yet. I don't think Devin needs any training time or anything, but Mir said that Darth Marr told her he was a part of this, and he doesn't feel any urgency." She put her cup on the nearby table and her arms around his neck.

"I know, nothing is ready yet, but I don't want to be caught napping," he told her, pulling her into his body. "Speaking of napping," he said, pulling her hair down from the pony tail, "maybe we should bank some z's, just in case." She giggled and they rose, but saw a speeder coming down the drive. The person in the speeder was familiar, but neither of them could put a name to the face until he approached them.

"Major Barrett, welcome," Maura said, extending her hand, at once the career soldier again.

"Thank you, Major. It's wonderful to see familiar faces," he replied.

"What in the stars brings you to Dantooine?" Aric asked.

"We had some intel that this was the place for rebuilding our forces," Major Barrett stated. "I had hope that you might be able to help us."

"Just who is 'us'" Aric asked. He was wary, worried that the Zakuul army might try to covertly infiltrate their home, especially since Miriah was here.

"I have forty-five soldiers who want to try to find a way to fight back, and take our galaxy away from those who would rather destroy it." He looked at his feet, then back at the former Republic heroes. "Will you help us?"

Maura looked at Aric and knew they were together in their assessment. "Of course, we'd be glad to, but we have nowhere to house that many."

"We have our forward gear. All we really need is land and water. I know it's a long shot, but if we stick together..."

"I totally understand," Aric told him, "Come and look over here, at this area. This might work as an operational forward base." He showed the grateful major over a small rise, and they looked at the large expanse of open area. "We have a deep well, so water shouldn't be a problem. It's yours, if you want it."

"It's perfect," the major replied, a grin on his tired face. "I'll tell the others to gather their gear, and we can start working tomorrow?" Aric nodded, shaking hands with him. He saluted as he started the speeder, and they both returned the salute.

"Well, looks like we're not the only ones wanting to take the fight to them, rather than just fade away,"Aric said softly, his arm around Maura's shoulders.

Devin watched as the group of Jedi practiced forms, the hum of the practice lightsabers music in his ears. He knew his mother was happy, and left that door closed. His family was all at work, and he was almost finished with the datacron he was building. Their small library was growing daily, and he added his glowing cube to the others on a top shelf. Magdalane had been by earlier, and brought a few of her personal collection to add to the room. That he'd had lunch with Mia had also encouraged him, and he turned to leave the temple for the evening, content.

Music had always been a large part of Miriah's life, so it surprised no one that she was sitting in the office, headphones on, the tinny leak of the heavy metal music surrounding her head. When she opened her eyes, she had on what Corso referred to as her combat face. Her eyes were calm and her senses hyper aware as she slid the shotgun from the sheath on her back. She nodded once to let Aric know she was ready for close combat, and the room fell into darkness. As she kicked and blasted through the targets as they popped up, Aric turned to his friend.

"Cor, she's a machine. That's all there is to it. Even being inert for five years hasn't changed the fact that she is one beautiful, deadly machine." He continued to watch the destruction, target after target being obliterated.

"I wonder if this whole thing will be her undoing," Corso said quietly. Aric turned to him, and saw the concern. "If she can stand to be hurt again, if she's strong enough- dammit, Aric, I can't lose her again!" He turned and jerked the door open so hard it bounced off the opposite wall with a loud thud. Aric let him go, knowing there was only one person who could comfort him. When Miriah had run through the combat simulator twice, Aric stopped the program.

"Cor needs you, he's worried," Aric told her. That was all she needed to know, and took off toward home. She found him on the back deck, a beer in his hand. That's unusual, she thought, but realized he was struggling to maintain the leash he had on his emotions. His hands were taunt around the bottle he held, and when she was close enough, she pried it out and put it aside.

"Sugar, I.." He stopped her by pulling her into his lap. He buried his face in her hair to hide the tears that had sprung in his eyes, but she knew when he spoke he was upset.

"I cannot lose you, Miriah. Not again. Not ever. I won't survive it. Please, let's just let Marr and Lana deal with this!" She held him tightly and let him get it out, and when he was calmer, she pulled back to look in his eyes.

"You know, and I know, that we have a duty. You and I, love, will always be together. I promised you that when you rescued me. Wherever this takes us, we will be together. If one of us goes, the other will be right behind." She said the words quietly but they both felt their weight and solemn promise. She gently kissed him then, and breathed I love you's over his face. He held onto her for a few more minutes before they stood to go inside.

Logan had finally found Aric at the office. "I know there's a specific plan, but I just want you to know that you can count on us both. Elara is a fine shot as well as a field medic, and you know what I can do," he told his uncle. Aric nodded, he'd known Logan would be with them all, no matter what. After assuring the young man that his gun would certainly be needed, he hopped on the speeder home. Maura was waiting for him, and when he'd dismounted, he saw her grin.

"Look," was all she said, pointing to the field. Spread out before him was a small tent city, organized and neat. The soldiers had even fixed the mess tent, and Aric could smell the food they were preparing.

"Well, I'll be damned," he said, admiration in his tone.

"They even have the solar showers set up on the far side," Maura told him with a laugh. It had been many years since they'd both been in the field, but at that moment, they missed it, if only a little bit. "There's actually a measure of comfort knowing they're there." Maura agreed and pulled him inside. After dinner, she took a crate of cookies she'd made from Miriah's recipe, and Aric took a couple of kegs. Both were gratefully received, and they spent the evening with the soldiers, sharing stories and laughs.

Devin came in just before dinner, and smelled his mom's pasta sauce. "Mom, that smells wonderful, and it's been so long since we exhausted what you'd put in the freezer!" He stood over the pot, stirring it and inhaling the rich scent.

Miriah laughed. "I thought it would be good tonight," she said, putting plates on the table. "Go and tell your dad and sister it's ready." They sat down to dinner together after Logan and Elara arrived, and enjoyed the evening. Miriah had the thought at one point that this was a rare treat, but she refused to allow the doubts in. The laughter and warmth of the meal soothed them all, and it was with a calm heart that they all slept well.

Marr paced, his usual activity. His spies had reported the training efforts, and he knew things were progressing. He only hoped that he and Lana had been right.


	20. Chapter 20

Miriah lay as still as she could while the scanner slowly moved across her body. If this complete physical was clear, then she would contact Lana and try to find out where she was needed. Maura monitored the hundreds of numbers that flew past on the screen, the soft green light hiding her face from her sister. There were some indications that Miriah's peripheral nerves weren't conducting properly, and that her body's chemistry was still a little off. Maura sighed, knowing that this was only a temporary pause, but at least it was a reason to keep Miriah recovering a little longer.

Miriah waited for the scan to finish and sat up, studying her sister. "What's the verdict, Maura?"

Maura explained the scan's findings, and was relieved when Miriah took her advice to rest and hydrate for another week. Miriah didn't even question it, to Maura's surprise. When they had put all the gadgets away, Miriah gave her sister a hug and bounded up the stairs. Well, Maura thought, will wonders never cease? She didn't mind being told to be still. She was still chuckling when she locked the office door.

Miriah had decided that since she shouldn't be training, she'd cook. It always served to ease her mind, and she'd been looking forward to the fresh vegetables the ranch foreman had brought her. She piled her hair up on her head in a messy knot, and humming, started to prepare dinner. She chopped and sauteed, peeled and baked. She sent a message to the boys, telling them when she'd have all the food ready.

Corso worked in his office, something he'd been neglecting. Logan was the official ranch manager now, but Corso still hadn't taught him all the ins and outs of their breeding program, and he was writing another to keep track of where their sold animals had gone. He took off his reading glasses and rubbed his face. Thank the stars Miriah needs another week of rest, he thought. He knew she was in the kitchen, but he missed her. He stood and stretched, then walked out to find her. She was at the sink, but she'd put some music on and was swaying gently. He took her hand and turned the water off. She grinned at him and he bent to kiss her before leading her into the open space between the island and the rest of the room. Pulling her into his arms, he waited for the beat and danced with her, savoring the feeling of her, close and relaxed.

Devin sat on the deck with Logan and Elara. They could see their parents as they danced in the kitchen. Elara sighed. "That's so romantic," she breathed.

Devin smiled. "They've done that all my life," he said simply, and saw Logan nod agreement.

"How can you accept the Jedi 'no emotion' babble when you see them every day, see how much they love each other and how strong it makes them?" Logan asked, reaching for Elara's hand.

"It's not the loving that 's the issue, Lo. We almost lost Dad because he lost Mom, remember? It's also because those you love can be used against you." Devin's smile grew as he saw Corso bend to kiss his wife's neck. "That's primarily a Sith thing, if their Dark Council even exists anymore."

"We'd better get in there before they decide to do something other than have dinner," Logan observed, getting an embarrassed gasp from Elara and a chuckle from his brother. They had already smelled the wonderful aroma of Miriah's favorite baked fish, and were eager to taste everything.

Miriah explained about the need to rest for a week, and everyone present wholeheartedly agreed, even though they knew she would grow bored of it before the first day was done. What Miriah didn't know was that Maura had told Sarai and Magdalane, and the women had made it their mission to keep her occupied.

Maura had gathered up her children and they all had eaten well. When they were done, Aric got their attention. "We have the soldiers out here now, so please respect that they're doing a job and let them do it," he explained. "Colin, you know what we're going to be up against. Are you interested in this mission?" he asked. Colin was nodding before Aric had stopped speaking, and they grinned at each other. "Excellent!" Aric turned to Maura. "What about armor?"

"I have a set for you, Colin, Corso, Logan and me on order. Should arrive next week," she told him, picking up plates for the droid. "I need to order leathers for Miriah, but the measurements I have on file are probably not accurate. Mags said she has plenty of crystals, and Felix just updated his armor. I did inventory in the bunker, we should be okay on ammo for a bit. Ration bars and water systems, too."

Aric hugged her, making her stop moving. "You've been busy, hon. Thanks." He pulled her to him for a kiss, getting groans around the table. "You all just wait, when you find that special one, I'm going to follow you around and make sickening sounds every time you touch each other." As one, the kids rolled their eyes. They knew their parents loved each other, they saw it every day.

Felix watched his wife as she took her beloved lightsaber apart, cleaning it with great care and precision. He remembered her story of how she'd had to build her first one, but the hilt she used now had been her father's. She felt his thoughts and smiled. "I know we're not going out tomorrow, but it calms me to do this, just like cleaning your rifle calms you." He dropped a kiss on her head, and sat beside her.

"True, the smell of gun oil does settle me," he said, "but I wish you'd stay here instead of going on this mission."

"Why?" she asked, a confused look on her face.

"Our granddaughter," he said, and saw her expression change. "Michi and she will miss you greatly." Ian had been with the Jedi so long, they had long realized he loved them but didn't really need them. In fact, since he'd been back on planet, the only time he'd spent with them was when Miriah was first brought home. He'd been at the new temple, working with the other Jedi there. Mags could always speak to him through the force, but she knew Felix missed his son. She made a note to herself to get him back here a little more. She knew that they all had reservations about the misison, but she also knew that she couldn't let her sister go alone.

"Sarai will be here," she said softly, taking his hand. "I know, it's not ideal, but after being without Miriah for so long, I can't let her go without me." Felix looked sad, but he nodded. He'd known the answer he'd get, but had to ask the question. He watched as she inspected each piece of her weapon before replacing in the hilt, and when she'd finished, he took her in his arms, content to know that they would at least be together.

Corso opened his eyes and knew Miriah was awake. He always slept touching her, but now he snuggled her to him, and felt her relax. "What's wrong," he asked. "Pain?" She'd not needed any meds for over a week now, but he was concerned. She shook her head, and put it down on his shoulder. "What do you need?"

"You," she replied, "just you," and scooted up to kiss him. Where normally he would have taken her words as an invitation to get hot and sweaty, he felt the uneasiness underneath them and just held her, waiting for her to talk. He didn't have to wait long before she sighed and walked her fingers over his bare chest. "I don't want Mags and Maura to feel like they have to come along on this mission."

Corso thought for a moment. "Darlin', you might get Mags to stay here, but I can't think of a single reason for Maura to be left behind. She and Aric were instrumental in getting you back, and I'm sure that Colin will be involved. Besides, they have an entire infantry unit camping in their field."

"Logan and Elara are intent on being involved, too," she sighed again.

"The boys don't want you out of their sight. I know that feeling." He lifted her chin and kissed her, starting sweet but ending hot, and he felt the shift in her. Still, she was uneasy.

"We need to make some decisions," she told him, breathless but determined to say her piece. "For Calypso. There's no way she can be a part of this." Corso shifted away enough to look into her eyes.

"I made Sarai her legal guardian in case of my death, not long after you went missing," he told her quietly. "I wasn't sure… I didn't know….hell, I wasn't planning on being around without you." He gently pushed her away and sat up. "I didn't know which way was up, darlin'. It seemed like the right thing to do. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." Miriah sat up and turned so that she was sitting in his lap.

"You did the right thing, sugar. The only thing you could." She trailed light kisses along his collarbone, her hands lightly stroking down his arms, making him shiver but somehow he kept his wits about him.

"Wait, baby, we need to talk about this," he said, his voice trembling. He knew she wasn't above using sex to avoid a difficult discussion, and now she was trailing her tongue just under his ear. He could hold out for a little bit, but he knew it wouldn't be long. He felt her lips caress his earlobe and melted a little further.

"No, we don't," she murmured, "you already took care of it. I wouldn't do anything different. It's really the only option." She grinned to herself when she felt his resolve crumble, and giggled when he pinned her beneath him. By morning, they both knew their path was set, and the only variable remained time.

Aric sat up in bed, startled out of a deep sleep. He wasn't even sure why, but he knew he'd dreamed of something important, something that he needed to remember. He sat for a moment, trying to figure it out, when Maura touched his arm. "Aric?" she asked softly.

"I'm fine, hon. Just, I don't know, something just occurred to me. How much can we really trust that Miriah is not just being sent into a trap? How do we know that Marr and Beniko aren't simply eliminating a threat?" He sank back onto the bed. "Why are we trusting them?"

"Probably because we wouldn't even know Mir was alive if Lana hadn't contacted Corso. Why would she help us find her if she wanted her dead? She'd have been dead for sure if we'd been even a day later than we were," she replied, her voice heavy with sleep. Her words rang true for Aric and he took comfort in them. When he closed his eyes again, he, too, was resigned to the course of action they'd planned.

All the sisters and Sarai converged on the ranch house shortly after breakfast the next day. Maura got her sister's measurements and leather armor ordered, and they chatted and ate the things each one had brought. Miriah had figured they'd all get together to keep her resting, but it was good to spend the girl time. Calypso, Calleigh and Coleen joined them, and they entertained the younger girls with their stories of growing up on Tython. When Sarai got up to go to the kitchen, Miriah followed. "Mom, Corso told me about the legal guardianship. I just wanted to say thank you," she told her.

Sarai grabbed her daughter in hard hug. When she'd had her fill, she held Miriah at arms length. "Sweetheart, I love you so much. There is nothing in the world that you could ever ask that would be too much. I love Calypso, too, and I know she'll miss you, but I promise she will be safe and loved." They hugged again, and when they parted, sniffing, Sarai smiled. "I don't want you to do this, but I know that you have to, and that Devin has to as well." She walked over to the counter, her back to her daughter. "This Valkorian, he means to destroy all that we know, and enslave whomever survives. He must be stopped." Miriah heard the force behind her words, and knew that she'd had a vision.

"Mom, what did you see?"

"So much destruction, so many lives lost, but you will be victorious, ultimately. You know, the force shows possibilities, not absolutes. Still, in every vision I've seen, you have triumphed." She turned then, and with a smile, sent force waves over her daugther. "You have the most important things on your side, your family. Devin, he is so very strong. He will be a major factor, as will Corso. But it hinges on you, my girl." She crossed to give Miriah another hug before rejoining the raucous party in the other room.

Miriah stood still, thinking about her mother's statements. She finally lifted her eyes to see Corso, standing in the doorway, his face showing his love and concern. She smiled at him, knowing she'd have to explain later, but for now content that he was there. She knew, in her heart, he always would be.


	21. Chapter 21

Darth Marr stepped off the speeder and surveyed the green, gently rolling hills of the Riggs Ranch. Peaceful, he thought, I can see why they enjoy this life. Very different from the war raging now. He took a step forward and was surprised to feel the cold steel of a blaster barrel touching his temple, around the hood he'd pulled over his face. Reacting instinctively, he started to force choke the one he'd had Lana save. _Damn! How could she get around him?_ Before he could let go of the choke hold, he was frozen, unable to move. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw the Jedi. The blinding white light poured from his upper body, but Marr saw the tendrils of darkness over his feet and lower legs.

Miriah fell to her knees, coughing, but with a smile on her face. "It's Marr," she told them, and saw Devin holding the Sith as if he were nothing. Instead of letting up, Devin approached Marr and tossed his hood back, revealing the familiar mask.

"Touch my mother again, and I promise you, it will be the last thought in your head," Devin said, more with the force than his voice. Marr saw the deadly calm in the young Jedi's eyes, and knew he had possibly made an enemy of the strongest force user he'd ever encountered. He tried to nod, but managed only a slight lowering of his brow, before Devin released him. He, too, fell to the hard ground, and simply sat there, stunned.

Corso had dropped his rifle when he saw Miriah being attacked, taking off from his rooftop vantage point at a dead run. He could barely see through the red haze of anger, and fell most of the way down the stairs to the attic. Landing in a heap at the bottom, he barely registered his injuries, instead bursting though the door.

"I'm very sorry," Miriah told Marr as he stood, brushing the grass and dirt off his black robes. "With the hood, we weren't sure who you were." Corso stood behind her now, a deep scowl on his face.

"I should think they're aren't many visitors here, at least not Sith," Marr growled, adjusting his armor. He was reluctantly impressed that the captain had ambushed him, and eyed her thoughtfully. "Your recovery appears complete, Captain. Are you ready to be tested on the battlefield?"

Miriah sighed, she was on day four of her week of rest and hydration, and it was driving her mad. "I have one medical hurdle to pass, and then I'm good to go," she told him, meeting his gaze. Corso had put his hand on her shoulder, and she could feel it twitch. She knew that her husband was very close to throwing a punch, and to avoid any further conflict, she turned and hugged him. "Let's go inside, in case any eyes are watching." Marr agreed, and followed them into the house. Devin followed, and as he walked inside, he felt Mia's force presence. _Everything is fine here, false alarm,_ he thought, and felt her acknowledgment.

Magdalane had felt the force disturbance as well, and after calling Aric, she and Felix raced to the ranch. They found the group in the family room, Corso's anxiety readily apparent. Devin sat between Darth Marr and his mother, and looked ready to defend her at any provocation, intentional or otherwise. Mags thought she might know what had happened from the look on the faces around her, but sat quietly and didn't ask.

Maura and Aric came running through the back door, arriving only seconds after Mags and Felix. They both skidded to a stop when they saw the group calmly sitting. Aric did notice that Corso's hands were flexing, as if he'd like to hit something, but he thought it was due to the unexpected visit. As they all got seated, Miriah spoke. "We are waiting on an armor order, and we should be ready by next week."

Darth Marr tilted his head to look at the tiny, black haired woman. "What do you mean, we?" He surveyed the group, wondering if they all planned to fight. The men seemed more than ready to do battle, but the women? "Who among you have ever even seen combat?" he sneered.

Maura stood, and the cloak of command draped her, the authoritative presence she'd never lost very much in evidence. "I am the former commander of Havoc Squad, and Aric was my XO. We've seen plenty of combat, Sith. We will be a part of this mission." Aric stood beside her, a low growl emanating from his throat. Magdalane tried to send out calming waves of force power, but they seemed to not affect anyone.

"I, too, have seen combat, though mostly as a diplomat. I serve the force, and can fight as well as anyone here," Mags said. "Felix was career military until he became my protector, he is well versed in battle, too."

Marr studied the group. This is a family, to be sure, he thought. But a fighting unit? He had his doubts, except that Miriah had gotten the drop on him before, he'd not seen her husband on the roof, and then there was Devin. The Jedi alone would be a powerful ally, but all together? Maybe, he mused. Just maybe.

The group moved into the kitchen, except for Marr and Devin, who continued to watch each other warily. They appeared to be discussing the weather, or current events. "You are able to use both light and dark, then?" Marr finally asked. Devin nodded, his eyes never leaving the black robed figure. "That is… interesting. I feel no large dark force from you, but then the overwhelming presence of light force is nauseating." Marr shifted, pulling his robe around to cover his durasteel chestpiece. "I suppose you might present a challenge to me, should we spar." They continued to sit in silence, until Devin spoke, his voice soft.

"I know my mother has some purpose in your vision, in your plan. I meant what I said before. If I see that you would harm her, I will end you," the young Jedi said, the same calm strength in his voice as before. "If you truly mean to end this Valkorian's domination, then I will fight with you." Marr heard the underlying resonance in his vow, and slowly nodded.

"We have a truce, then," Marr said, extending his hand. Devin gingerly took the gloved hand to shake, and when Marr felt the zing of force power, it made his heart race. So much power, he thought. Even tempered, it is stronger than most. When they'd ended the contact, Marr had to resist the urge to take his glove off and inspect the spot that still tingled there.

As the group discussed strategy and weapons, Devin looked around the room. Lana should be here, he thought. This was her mission. He could feel the dark force waves around Marr, but he ignored them, knowing he was more than enough to counter if the Sith lord decided that he was wrong about going forward. He'd let Mia know that he would be back at the temple this evening, and the thought of seeing her momentarily distracted him. Mags felt his shift and lifted her eyebrow at him. He blushed and returned his attention to the discussion at hand, not seeing his aunt's smirk.

Sarai had kept Calypso away from the ranch house, and now they were happily cooking together. They hadn't discussed what was coming, but Sarai knew that Corso and Miriah had already had a talk with their daughter. Calypso didn't seem worried, but Sarai didn't pry. She knew well enough that the young girl would go through stages of missing her parents, especially since she'd just gotten her mother back. Calypso brought it up, though, when they were taking a break outside on the deck. "Mom and Dad told me what's going on, and I guess you're stuck with me, Nana."

Sarai smiled at her granddaughter. "I am happy to have you here, sweetie. I get lonely when everyone is away. I know you just got your mom back, are you okay with all of this?" Sarai expected a frown or maybe even tears, so when Caly just smiled at her, she was taken aback.

"No, I'm not worried about them. Dev is going with them. He is stronger and smarter than anything or anyone else in the whole galaxy," she said, with the certainty of youth. "He won't let anything happen to Mom." Sarai felt the truth of that statement and stayed quiet, wondering if her granddaughter was right.

The group inside the ranch house were quietly discussing tactics when a loud thump sounded outside. Instantly, the hum of lightsabers and the whine of plasma weapons thundered through the group, and cautiously, they advanced to the front of the house. Corso peeked out the side window, and powered his blaster rifle down. He walked to the door, snatched it open and peered outside. The golden droid stood with a datapad in his hand.

"Statement: Items in this shipment must be acknowledged before possession can be transferred," the droid said, and waved his datapad at Corso. He grabbed it, scribbled a signature and watched the droid as it returned to its delivery speeder. He turned to see Miriah smiling at him, and something in him relaxed. He and Aric moved the large crate into the training room before returning to the others. Aric caught his arm before they'd reached the kitchen.

"I want details about what went down here before we arrived," he said softly, glancing around them. Corso told his friend everything, and saw Aric's frown when he heard about Miriah. "Spitfire's okay?" Corso nodded, and they entered the kitchen.

By the evening, Marr had returned to his ship and Corso finally had Miriah alone, lying in his lap in the porch swing. "Are you sure you don't need to be scanned?" he asked her.

"I'm fine, sugar. Devin caught him before any damage could be done, except to his pride," she snorted, the image of the great and powerful Darth's feet dangling off the ground making her grin. "And, wow, never saw Dev with the dark force before. That must be something he learned after I was gone."

"He told me he had learned that emotion and passion could be effectively harnessed and used, as long as he was aware which side he was using. That was right after your disappearance. Today, though, that was new even for me." He wrapped his arms around her, and they were quiet for a bit before Miriah sat up suddenly.

"We have a large crate in our training room, unopened," she said, and made her way inside. When Corso joined her, she had opened the end of the crate and started pulling out pieces of armor, stacking them by size. Maura's set was obvious, the gray and black pieces new and shiny. All of the male armor was black with gold accents, and looked to be finely crafted. Corso whistled as Miriah handed him a set in his size.

"I think this is the nicest armor I've ever had," he said. Miriah thought back to the days when they were looking for her ship, and they'd both had to use whatever they could put their hands on. She used to joke with him that his armor was so many different colors, he looked like he'd taken a nap near a child care center, and the kids had used markers on his armor. The thought brought a smile to her lips, and she glanced over at her husband, love in her eyes.

Finally, she pulled out a wrapped package, and placed it on the floor beside her. When she lifted the black leather jacket with pink accents, her face lit up and she sighed. "Maura knows me so well," she murmured. Standing, she stripped down and tried on the leather. Corso stared at her, seeing how well the leather pants molded to her body, the jacket hugging her breasts, and the boots. Oh sweet heaven, the boots, he thought, and turned away from her to try and catch his breath. He'd always loved the tall boots, and that's what Maura had ordered for her. "Look, sugar, this is perfect!"

"It sure is," he growled. "Hope I don't tear any of if when I rip it off you." He hauled her up over his shoulder amid her giggles and ran down the hall to their bedroom.

Marr made his report to Lana soon after he'd left orbit. "Your captain is doing well, and I think we will be ready to proceed shortly," he said, seeing Lana's nod of agreement.

"The family, they are all ready, then?" she asked. Marr stared at her, not sure about what he was seeing.

"You knew the family would be involved," he asked, "but didn't think to let me know that?" He slammed down the glass he'd been holding, now ridged with the outline of his fingers. Lana kept her gaze steady.

"I did think that, once she'd returned, they would be very reluctant to lose contact with her. I did not know of any concrete plans," she answered, but the tiny smile inside her fought for release. Marr said nothing for several seconds, then abruptly ended the call. Lana let the smile stretch her face. I was right, she said to herself.


	22. Chapter 22

Corso paced, and stopped periodically to look out the window, the moonlight providing enough light to let him see most of the front of the property. Marr's unexpected visit made him wonder about the approach to the house itself, and even with the security system, he couldn't shake the worry. He let his eyes travel over Miriah, who was sleeping deeply. He took in the long hair kissing her bare back, the dark lashes casting shadows over the chiseled cheekbones. So many years, he'd loved her, but never more than now. Now, he knew the agony of loss, and would trade anything to keep his love here, safe, and smiling. He knew it was a useless wish, but he couldn't help himself. He sighed quietly, drinking in the sight of her in their bed. He slid in behind her, pulling her into his body. Maker, please take me before her, he thought. He buried his face in her fragrant hair, and kissed her head.

Miriah felt his unease, even in sleep, and blinked her eyes open. His arms held her, but she turned to face him. "Sorry, darlin'. Didn't mean to wake you," he whispered. She put her fingers on his lips, then her lips on them.

"Just hold me, sugar, I always feel safe in your arms. Remember, we're always with each other from now on," she said, brushing his hair back from his face. She saw the worry in his eyes, in the slight furrow of his brow, and leaned in to kiss him again. They'd exhausted passion earlier, now there was only love. Miriah knew she couldn't fathom the depth of his grief when she'd been taken, but she was determined to heal his soul. With each deep kiss, filled with all the things their mouths couldn't say otherwise, with words unknown except in the language of love, they fell deeper into each other. When finally Corso pulled his head back to look in her eyes, his were at peace, and all she saw was the reflection of her own deep emotion. With one last kiss, they slept, so entwined it would have been hard to tell where one ended and the other began.

The Dreamweaver was ready, the repairs to the interior made in the last few weeks. Miriah had some reservations about boarding her, but when she stepped into the lounge area, all she felt was home. They'd spent many hours aboard this ship, and it was as familiar as the ranch house. Today they would pack it up, and tomorrow they would launch. The current plan was to meet Marr and Lana at the edge of what was known as Wild Space, uncharted space outside the known galaxy. It would take almost two weeks to get there, and Miriah was not looking forward to having no navigational maps to guide her. As she made her way around the vessel, she saw Devin enter, and went to him.

"Hey sweetie," she said, hugging him. "I'm just seeing what we haven't already loaded."

"I made sure the freezers and coolers were stocked, with the supplies from the bunker in the hold. I took the toys and games out," and here he glanced at his mother, not sure how she would feel about that. Miriah only nodded.

"Makes sense," she said. Her mind instantly went to the last small child who was aboard this ship, Calypso. Now Calypso bounded up the ramp, Corso behind her.

Corso was tired. Caly had slept between him and Miriah last night, and not only was she a restless sleeper, Corso found he couldn't sleep without touching Miriah. He looked at his wife, who was hugging their daughter, and sighed. He knew this parting tomorrow would be hard on them both. Devin saw the fatigue and sent a little force energy to his dad. Corso looked up with surprise when he felt it, and grinned at his son, walking over to him. "What can I do to help," he asked Devin.

"We're good," Devin told him, "I even put some chocolate for Mom in the bridge compartment and in the galley. Plenty of caffa for Uncle Aric, fresh veggies for Aunt Mags." He strolled over to the repaired sofa and sat, and Corso joined him. "Just take today to be with Calypso, I know she's already missing Mom." Corso agreed and they watched the women, one dark haired and silver eyed, the other with caramel hair and light blue eyes. Not related by blood, but by hearts, and the love had always been unconditional. Calypso was ours from the time I pulled her from the wreckage of the shuttle on Oricon, Corso thought, remembering the tiny infant, dirty and overheated, and how she'd become one of the family. We've all been through so much, he sighed, too much.

Miriah saw them and joined them, Calypso at her side. "Let's go up to the house. Logan and Elara should be up there soon, and we're having a family dinner tonight. Got some prep work to do." She set off toward the ramp, Calypso skipping along behind her. When they were out of sight, Corso turned to his oldest son. "Dev, Sarai has legal guardianship should something happen to us..."

"Dad, I will not let anything happen. Not to you or Mom."

"Son, you can't promise that. None of us know exactly what we're getting into, and I need to know that you're prepared to help with Caly if something happens." Corso put his hand on Devin's shoulder. "She will need guidance, love, family. Sarai can give her a lot, but she will need you."

Devin nodded, but he saw something else in his father's eyes. "What is it that you're not saying?" he asked.

"Your mom and I… well.. we...If the worst happens, we want to be together." Corso turned away as unexpected tears sprang to his eyes. Devin absorbed his statement, waiting a few seconds before responding.

"You'll be together, back here, when it's done," he said finally, his arm going around Corso's shoulders. "I promise." They hugged, and when they turned for the ramp, Logan was there with two gear bags.

"Where is everyone bunking?" he asked. Devin filled him in on the layout, and Corso made his way to the house. When he was gone, Devin told his brother about the pact his parents had made.

"It shouldn't surprise you, Dev. They are stronger together, they belong together. We just need to make sure they come home together." Logan clapped his hand on his brother's shoulder as Devin nodded agreement.

Dinner was a large affair, and everyone avoided talking about the coming weeks. Instead, they ate and danced, laughed and hugged. When it was done, and the clean up complete, Corso again found his daughter in their bed. He said nothing, hoping she would fall asleep and he could take her to her room. His wish was granted very soon, since the girl had shadowed her mother all day and was worn out. Corso picked her up and Miriah followed, tucking their daughter into her bed. As Miriah stood after placing a kiss on Caly's head, Corso took her hand and led her into the hallway, where he crushed her in a hug. "Been wanting to do this all day," he murmured, feeling her body melt into his.

Miriah had seen him trying to give Calypso some time with her. She'd also seen him yawning, and knew he didn't sleep much the night before. She led him to their room, and pulled sleep clothes out for him before pushing him into the shower. She waited for him, but knew he needed rest more than anything else, no matter what he thought. When she heard the water shut off, she dimmed the lights and slid down under the thick comforter. When he didn't join her after a couple of minutes, she got up to check on him.

"I look so old," he said, gazing into the mirror. He had started to regain some of the weight he'd lost, and the training had begun to bulk up his lean frame, but his face still bore the signs of grief. She slid her arms around him from behind.

"You look like the one I love," she told him, lying her head on his back. He took her in his arms then, and they made their way to their bed. Corso dressed and got in, while Miriah checked on Calypso one last time. When she came back, he held the comforter open for her. She snuggled to him, his warmth and steady heartbeat relaxing her, and they slept, Corso's hands full of her hair and her head on his shoulder.

They rose early and started to prepare for flight. Corso had left detailed instructions for his ranch foreman but Rizzo had been with him so long, he wasn't worried. They walked silently to the ship, and saw that Devin, Logan and Elara were already there, laughing and talking. Elara handed Corso a cup of caffa and turned to hug Miriah. The two had grown close, and it made both Corso and Logan smile. Logan had been feeling a little on the sidelines up until now, and Corso turned to him. "Lo, you know your mom and I are depending on you for some piloting duties, that work for you?" He saw the grin on his son's face and gave one back.

"Of course, Dad, whatever you need," Logan replied. Loud laughter and whoops followed the rest of the family down to the hangar, everyone with a bag but with most their gear already stowed aboard. Sarai and Calypso took a speeder down to see them off, and after tears and hugs, and more hugs, they were all aboard and the overhead doors opened. Miriah went to the bridge and hit the toggle switch for the preflight engines, their smooth hum delighting her. Felix must have worked on this thing for a long time, she thought. When everyone was ready, and Corso was in the right seat, she hit the main engines and felt the freighter rise from the deck.

Miriah had loved to fly all her life, and loved this ship even more. She'd always flown some version of the freighter, and enjoyed the way they responded and their many features over the much lighter and more fragile fighter ships. Today, however, she found herself reaching for Corso's hand, his touch bolstering her, steadying her. As the ship lifted from the hangar, Miriah felt an acute sense of loss, and realized she already missed her daughter. Corso squeezed the hand he held, and she took a deep breath.

Marr received the message that the Dreamweaver was in flight, and sat back in his deep, high backed chair. He'd been meditating and felt a large force shift, and was initially worried it concerned the captain and her family. When he learned that the screams he'd heard in his mind were from the last colony on Hoth, he breathed both a sigh of relief and one of despair. We must hurry now, he thought, and turned his mind to planning their offensive.

Entering the hyperlane, Miriah realized she was still holding onto Corso. He didn't mind. His thoughts were on the ones left behind, and on the trip to wild space. He couldn't worry beyond that, he knew it would drive him mad not knowing what was coming. Instead, he kept his attention on his wife. She looks so sad, he thought, and rose from his seat to hug her. "Calypso is safe, darlin'. She knows how much we both love her," he murmured to her, and felt a tear roll down the face she'd pressed into his neck.

"I have to stay focused," she said softly. "There's so much at stake." He hugged her harder, caressing her back.

"I'm here," was all he said, and waited for her to settle. When she did, she took his face in her hands, kissing him.

"You always know what I need," she said, smiling. They joined hands and went into the lounge, where the family waited for them. He always knows, she thought, and the love she felt in his gaze steadied her.


	23. Chapter 23

"Love you, sweetie," Miriah said, blowing a kiss to the shimmering blue image of her daughter. "See you soon!" She disconnected the holocall and turned to Corso, who was standing beside her. "She looks happy," she told him, getting his nod in agreement. They'd been traveling for twelve days now, and everyone was getting a little anxious over the next step in the mission. They all dealt with the boredom of hyperspace in different ways, but now, in uncharted space, things were more on edge.

Aric sat at the bridge, the thrusters on half power, as they navigated a dense debris field. He'd not been sleeping well since they exited known space, and he growled low in his throat now. Something felt off, he realized. He glanced at Devin, who sat beside him, trying to use the force to help him navigate. Devin's eyes were closed, but his force aura glowed around him. Aric didn't say anything, although he longed to ask the young Jedi what he felt about the group and the mission. Loss of concentration now might be disastrous. He turned his attention again to the stars, and made a mental note to ask, soon.

Corso watched his wife as she worked in the ship's galley. She's worried, he thought, and distracted. He was shaken from his thoughts when she swore loudly and put her finger in her mouth. He jumped up to look at the cut, and before he could say anything, Mags was there to heal it. "Thanks, Mags," he said, getting a smile from his sister in law. Even she is troubled, he observed. Mags turned to help her sister prepare their meal, and though they didn't speak, they worked seamlessly. When everything was cooking, they all sat, fresh caffa in hand.

"We should be very close," Magdalane told them. "I can feel Marr, though his dark force is very powerful and he might be further than I think. Has he sent any coordinates?"

"I have them, they're programmed into the nav system, it's just getting through all the debris between us right now," Miriah answered. She looks tired, Corso thought.

"Mir, you need to rest," Magdalane said, seeing the same shadows under her sister's eyes. "Having trouble sleeping?"

"No, just keep waking up," she told them, taking Corso's hand. "Maybe I will go nap." She rose, but Corso hung back, wanting to talk to Mags. When Miriah had gone, he turned to the Jedi.

"Something is up," he said. "She's troubled, and I think it's more than just lack of sleep." Mags nodded, she'd felt the unease too.

"It's the mission, the unknown," Mags said. "She's always wanted a plan, and this time she can't make one." Corso thought on that for a few seconds before agreeing. "Go, be with her. She'll be able to relax with you." Corso followed her advice, and when he stretched out beside Miriah on their bed, she turned into him with a sigh. She was asleep seconds later, but Corso lay awake, a vague fear worrying his mind.

Later that day, Devin and Magdalane were meditating in the training room, when Devin turned to his aunt. "There is an undercurrent of fear and dread running through this ship," he said, and sighed. "Things are not going to be how we think they are, are they?"

Mags slowly let her aura fade, and turned to her nephew. "Your mom is going to be tested, your dad as well. Events are in motion that we cannot change."

"What does that mean?" Devin asked. When Mags didn't answer immediately, he stood.

"Just trust Miriah, Dev. She is the only one who can make the decisions, because she is the only one who I trust to read the situations correctly." Mags stood, and looked up into her nephew's face. "Trust her, even if it's hard." They heard the proximity warning, and glanced toward the bridge. "It begins now," she said.

Miriah was at the bridge. "Requesting permission to dock," she said into the headset she wore.

"Permission granted," the clipped Imperial tones told her, and guided her to the docking bay. Miriah turned and saw her entire family looking at her.

"Corso, you and I will go meet with Marr. Dev, you help Mags with the threat detection. Everyone else, please get everything ready. I have a feeling we'll be in combat soon." They all agreed, and Corso took her hand. Moving to the air lock, he paused to kiss her.

"Right here with you, darlin'. Always." She grinned at him and they moved into the Imperial dreadnaught.

They were met by a security detail, who escorted them to the flagship's conference room. Marr joined them there in seconds, anxious to discuss their next move. "We have some intel that Valkorion will be entering this section," he told them, motioning them to sit. Corso continued to stand, looking around at the Empire's finest vessel. "I trust you are prepared for combat?" At Miriah's nod, he folded his hands on the gleaming table top. "We must move quickly. With the force users on your ship, you will be a marked target.." The intercom on the table burst to life.

"My lord, enemy squadron decloaking off the starboard bow! We..we can't even count how many ships! Incoming..." They felt the first volley of torpedoes hit, the ship shaking and the roar of explosions spurring them to action. Marr lept to his feet and ran out into the corridor, Miriah and Corso following him. The first thing they saw were droids, armed and firing. The ship's crew set up a barrier and returned fire. Marr turned to the couple.

"This way," he yelled, and they followed him around a corner. They continued down a corridor, running against the tide of ship's crew as they hurried to join the fight. When they reached a control point, Marr stopped and motioned them close. "We should be safe here, at least for the time being. We need to get to the engineering section, quickly." Miriah nodded agreement, and they were off again, Corso bringing up the rear, making sure he kept Miriah in sight. They were pinned after only a few feet.

Darth Marr drew his lightsaber and Miriah her blaster. Corso got the droid's attention by using his jetpack to launch into the middle of the pack, and Miriah picked off one at at time, while Marr slashed his way through another two. When they were done, five droids lay in scattered pieces at their feet. Marr nodded his approval. "I see you have returned to your former level of skill," he said grudgingly, and after patching up Corso, they moved forward cautiously.

Devin could feel the combat, and struggled to stay on the Dreamweaver. He felt helpless, and paced anxiously in front of the air lock door. Mags and Aric joined him, leaving Logan on the bridge. "I need to go over there," he told his uncle, but saw his aunt frowning before the words got fully out.

"Remember, I told you. Trust Miriah, she knows what she's doing," Mags said. Aric looked frustrated, but finally agreed with his sister in law.

"Mags is right, we have to let her lead." He wondered why, but he knew Mags wouldn't do any less than support her sister, even to the detriment of the mission. If Mags said to let Miriah lead, then he'd follow whatever Spitfire told him. He glanced into the main part of the ship to see Maura pacing in the lounge. He went to her, and she launched herself at him.

"I'm worried," she said softly, her head on his chest.

"I know, I am too, but Mags says to let Miriah do this," he replied, stroking her hair. Their armor made it hard to be comforting, but he tried.

Logan's hands worked quickly, stabilizing their ship as the larger one shimmied with the attacks on its other side. Elara looked on, her combat training taking over as she diverted power to their shields and life support. When an especially large round detonated on the dreadnaught's side, she glanced over at her husband. "We need to be ready to disengage once they're back aboard," she told him, lurching sideways when the shock wave hit the smaller vessel.

"I have the hyperspeed engines ready, we'll go back toward Oricon," he told her, and she leaned over to kiss him.

"We're all going to be okay," she said, seeing the lines of stress in his face. His eyes remained on the ship's controls, but he knew she was only trying to settle him, and put his hand on her knee, his touch calming them both.

Miriah and Corso followed Marr down to the elevator, then into the engineering deck. The devastation was enormous, and they heard the Sith sigh. "Damn! The hyperdive is gone! All we have is the sublight thrusters now."

"Let's move to the secondary enginnering deck, see if we can maneuver away enough to cut off this attack," Miriah said, and they started back to the elevator. Once on the same level as the secondary engineering deck, they encounter more of the strange looking droids. This group was a little harder to take out, and when they were all dismantled, Miriah took kolto packs out, tending to Corso's wounds.

"I'm okay, darlin'," he insisted, but Miriah could see the worry in his eyes. She quickly put the kolto packs on his wounds, and they sat for a moment, allowing him to take advantage of the healing gel. She gently caressed his face, but her smile was sad. When he stood and nodded to Marr, they set off again. When they reached the console to activate the smaller engines, Marr realized that the bridge had been infiltrated.

"We no longer control the bridge. Once we get this console up, we have to go back there in order to steer the ship," he shouted, the noise of battle raging nearby. Miriah nodded, and Corso sliced into the terminal. When it hummed to life, he looked at his wife. Smudges on her face, her hair wild, she still looked beautiful to him. He leaned over to kiss her, and they sprinted behind Marr to the elevator. They met more droids in the hallway leading to the bridge, and Marr turned to them once they had dispatched them. "You two go to your ship. I'll get this one out of here, and send you a new meeting place," he told them.

Miriah and Corso made their way quickly to the docking area. Miriah looked around just as the intercom announced a total evacuation. She looked around, seeing the crew head for the escape pods. Corso stood at the air lock, waiting for her. "C'mon Mir! Let's go!" he shouted, and after a moment's hesitation, she ran toward him. When he had the door open, she followed, waiting for the Dreamweaver's door to reciprocate.

Miriah looked at Corso, then pulled him to her. Their kiss contained so much, it overwhelmed Corso, and he was still trying to sort it all out when the door opened. Miriah pushed him hard, and he fell into the Dreamweaver. Before he could react, she'd hit the switch again, and the door slammed shut.

Logan had been waiting for the air lock to close, and the instant that the light blinked green, he disengaged the ship from the dreadnaught. In seconds, he had the smaller ship turned and ready for hyperflight.

Devin felt his mother's thoughts. "No, Mom! Please, no, please board this ship, now, Mama," he pleaded, reverting to his childhood name for her, but he felt her resolve. He ran for the air lock.

Miriah looked through the window at her husband's shocked face, tears streaming down her own. She knew she was supposed to stay with Marr, her mother had told her as much weeks ago. She knew Corso would be devastated, but she knew no other way. As the Dreamweaver hovered before turning, she mouthed "I love you, forever," to him, then she was gone.

"NO! NO, not again! Miriah! Miriah!" he shouted, banging his fists on the air lock door. "You promised!" he yelled, and when the hyperdrive engaged, he slumped to the deck, sobbing. Devin wrapped his arms around his father, his disbelief warring with the profound sense of loss, as they headed toward Oricon.


	24. Chapter 24

Miriah was stunned for a few seconds, but when the escape pod across from where she was standing blew her backwards with it's launch, she recovered and ran for the bridge. Marr was frantically trying to stabilize the huge ship, but it was obvious that they would need to evacuate soon as well. Miriah joined him, trying all the tricks she knew, but it was no use. She looked at Marr, and he met her gaze. "You made your husband leave you here to die?" he asked, the smirk apparent in his voice.

Miriah immediately turned defensive. "No, I probably ruined my marriage because my Jedi mother and sister both thought I needed to stay with you." She turned to look out the main screen at all the Eternal Emperor's ships. "So now what?"

Marr sighed. "We only have two choices. Surrender or crash."

"Well, if we're going to crash, let's take as many of them with us as we can," she said, a wicked grin on her face. She shoved the throttles fully forward, and felt the broken vessel leap and shear sideways. She managed to steady it, and point it toward the nearest medium sized enemy ship. Once the autopilot was engaged, they ran to the last two escape pods, barely making it out of the blast zone.

Corso lay on their bed, her pillow clutched to his chest. It had been two days of pure hell. He still wasn't sure whether to be angry or heartbroken, but he knew either way, life was done without her. He'd spoken to no one, had shut out everyone but Devin and Logan, and was again, grieving. Whenever he closed his eyes, he could see her face at the air lock window. Logan was devastated, he'd been the one to disengage the ship. As much as Devin and all the rest had tried to reason with him, he still felt responsible. Corso couldn't take it, he simply didn't want to live without her, and yet he felt betrayed. Why would she break her promise, he wondered. He felt the door open but didn't move. Magdalane entered and put her hand on his shoulder, but he ignored her. Nothing could make him have his Miriah with him, so what was the point, he figured.

Mags came out into the lounge, where the entire family waited. "He's almost catatonic. He's trying to will himself to die." She let the anguish overtake her, and they saw her usually calm facade break. "I can't even tell him why, he won't respond. She had to stay with Marr, it was the only way!" She whirled and put her hand on the closed door. "We have to figure something out, or we'll lose him. We will get Miriah back, but we have to do it soon!"

They were silently contemplating Mags's words, when the holo chimed. Devin reached over and hit the receive button, and saw Lana Beniko appear. He said nothing, just watched the Sith. She grasped her hands in front of her, and they could all see her worry. "I know what has happened. She is alive, but the escape pod she was in, was tractor beamed into the main ship." She stood still for a moment. "I have a plan."

"Well, why didn't you say so?" Aric said, and turned his full attention on her. When she'd outlined what she wanted to do, no one could even respond, the plan was so outrageous. Even Aric was unsure. "So we're going to take your cloaked ship and follow the one holding Marr and Miriah to this Valkorion assh…dude. And then we're going to use the force to rescue them?" Lana nodded. Aric sighed, "I guess we've done stranger things, and if it means getting them back, then I'm in."

"Me, too," said Maura, linking her arm with Aric's. Mags and Felix stepped up, as did Logan and Devin.

"Devin, we will need you most. Logan, I am hoping that you can pilot this ship in uncharted space, and follow us to a meeting point." Logan nodded, and Lana continued. "This won't be easy, but it is part of the vision I had five years ago."

Miriah was slowly becoming aware that she was no longer in the escape pod. She remembered then, the droids that had burst through her pod's hull and dragged her out, before sedating her. She tried to reach up to rub her eyes, only to discover her wrists in stun cuffs. Lovely, she thought. She lay back and tried to calm herself, but could only see Corso's eyes as the air lock had slammed shut.

Lana spent an hour outlining the details of her plan. When the holo flickered off, Devin turned to his aunt. "You know, we might be able to link up and see if we can find Mom," he said, and saw the slight smile.

Mags crossed to Devin and took both hands in hers. "Let's do it," she said, and immediately the blinding light penetrated the ship. It took some concentration but they finally entered her consciousness.

Miriah felt the cool presence of force power and shivered. I'm okay, she thought, please tell Corso I love him, and I'm sorry. She looked down at the stun cuffs, and then over to the guard. She felt the presence recede, but drew some comfort from the contact. She turned away from the guard, her silent tears sliding down into the pillow.

Ian met the ship hours later, the force disturbance from when his aunt had stayed on the doomed ship had alerted him to their need. When he came aboard and the family had explained all that had happened, he hugged his mother. "We can link up, see if we can get Uncle Corso to talk to Aunt Miriah. This much force power should be enough to do it. You have a link with both, as does Devin," he reasoned.

Devin entered the dark quarters and stood for a moment to let his eyes adjust. He saw his father, lying on his side, his knees drawn up to his chest. His discarded armor lay strewn around, as if he'd taken each piece and tossed it at the walls. Maybe he did, Devin thought. He approached the bed and sat on the side, seeing Corso's swollen eyes blink open. "Dad, we have a way that you might be able to talk to Mom," he said softly, feeling his dad stiffen at the words.

"How do you even know she's still alive?" he asked, his voice rough with lack of use.

"Aunt Mags and I already found her," Devin answered, and Corso sat up quickly.

"Get her for me, Dev. Please," Corso pleaded.

"Dad, she's in stun cuffs, prisoner to what we can only assume is Valkorion." Corso took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"But she's alive?"

"Most definitely alive," Devin answered, putting his arm around his father's shoulders. "She said to tell you she loves you and she's sorry." Corso didn't respond to that, and Devin turned to motion the other force users to him. "Dad, close your eyes."

Magdalane, Ian and Devin linked hands, and the light became unbearable for the others on the ship. Corso could feel warmth, but wasn't sure if it was force or simply the unrelenting light. He heard Mags tell him to relax his mind, and he tried, but wasn't sure if he could. All he wanted to do was talk to his wife, get her explain what had happened. He was concentrating on breathing when he heard her.

"Mir, we have Corso with us, he's in terrible shape," Mags told her.

"Corso, sugar! Please understand, I was told by both Mags and Mom that I should stay with Marr!" Her voice through the force sounded panicked, and he wasn't sure how to speak to her.

"Just think what you want to say, Dad," he heard Devin say.

"Miriah, I don't understand. We made a promise to each other," he thought.

"We made a promise to die together, my love. I knew I was not going to die, not today, not until this part of the mission is done is there even a possibility."

"How can you know that?"

"Because every force user in our family has told me that, everyone but Devin."

"It's true," Mags said. "We didn't tell Dev because he would have tried to change what could not be changed."

"I couldn't risk you, Cor. The force vision didn't tell either of them what your role was, and I just couldn't risk it." Miriah's emotions could be felt by them then, and she was scared. Scared for the mission, and for her family, but most of all, that Corso wouldn't forgive her. They could clearly tell that she was struggling with trying to stay positive. "Please, believe me, sugar. I'd much rather be with you right now than where I am."

"We're losing it here," Ian said softly, the light beginning to waver.

"I'll see you all soon. I know Lana's plan," Miriah said. "I love you, Corso. Remember that. I'll be with you soon, if you'll still have me."

Corso was filled with relief, and he knew he had to say something. "You know, you are my beating heart, Miriah. I love you, and I'll see you soon." Miriah sobbed, and it was a ripple of emotion that nearly collapsed them all. As the connection faded, Corso could see that they were all feeling the emotions. The sadness, the anxiety, but most of all, the overwhelming love between himself and Miriah. He was amazed to find that he felt as if his center had been restored, and he put his arm around his son, pulling him close on one side, and pulling Mags to him on the other. "I'm not happy being in the dark on this, but I understand," he said.

Aric, Maura and Logan were outside, but could hear the words that had been spoken aloud. "So I supposed if we're a go for this next part," he said for Maura's ears only, "we need to get ready." Louder, he spoke to Logan. "Lo, you're the pilot. You have the meeting point?" Logan nodded. "Let's get to work, people," he said, and clapped his hands together. Seeing his friend emerge from his quarters after two days, he whistled low. "Cor, you look like shit. Go eat, then shower, and we'll brief you on this next step." Corso gave him a weak smile and moved slowly into the galley. Aric turned to watch him. "I swear, your sister is going to be the death of that man," he told his wife, and received a solid punch to the gut. "I deserved that," he grunted, before wrapping her in a hug. "Glad he seems better."

"Me, too," Maura replied. "Me, too."

Miriah watched the guards scramble to attention when a force user dressed in white entered the room. His clothing was expensivly tailored, pristine white with gold thread. He was fairly young, but Miriah was only guessing, since cybernetics covered half his face. "I see you are awake," the enhanced voice came out cold and calculating. She refused to answer at first, but after a minute of waiting, she replied.

"You might not think that's a good thing very soon," she said. He ignored her, giving orders to the assembled guard instead. He left the room, never speaking to her again, but she knew as well as she knew anything that he'd be back, and that he would be taking her to meet Valkorion. She lay back, and kept the words Corso had said in her mind and in her heart. If I ever get done with this, she vowed to herself, I'll never even go to the 'fresher without him. That thought made her smile just a little, and she finally fell asleep.

Marr had felt the light force energy, but it was well disguised, he realized. For the first time since they'd cooked up this plan, he actually admitted it might work. It all hinged on Lana and the other force users, and he could only hope that they were as careful as the family had been contacting Miriah. He was coming to admire this family, and he would do what he could to reunite them. When he felt Miriah sleep, he sent a small bit of force to her, so that she could rest. He, however, continued to sort through the various force signatures on the ship, trying to find the one he'd known forever.


	25. Chapter 25

Miriah felt satisfaction infuse her body. Her husband's weight, though he was trying very hard not to crush her, pinned her and made her feel safe, wanted. She ran her fingertips down the bunched muscles of his chest, slowly down his sculpted abs, to where their bodies were joined, making him shiver. She expected his thrusts to speed up, instead they slowed and he met her desire-filled eyes with his own. She had peaked twice already, but felt another wave building. Corso gave her a wicked grin and hugged her against him, sitting back on his heels, filling her. She locked her legs around him and met his hungry lips, their passion for each other driving them, their hands roaming each others bodies. He lifted her effortlessly, and slowly lowered her onto him, the sensation taking her breath. The second time he did this, she arced and moaned, ….

Miriah woke, sweating and out of breath. She knew the dream, had experienced it a few other times, but it felt awkward here. Normally, she would wake Corso up and continue, but of course, that wasn't possible. She sighed as the heat of her dream cooled, and longed to be beside him. If she'd been able to continue it, he would have made sure she was sated before he would seek his own release, and then would cuddle her close, feathering kisses over her neck and face. Somehow, it made her feel connected to him, even now. She rolled onto her side and tried to rest, aware that the morning could bring the end to this mission, one way or another.

Marr had felt the passion, the absolute eroticism of the dream, and shamelessly used it to fuel his power. He'd need every bit he could muster, he realized, for the coming confrontation. Still, he mused, there was much pure emotion there, and it was delicious. Rest, tiny one, he thought. We have much yet to do.

When she woke again, it was because someone had shoved a boot in her back. She turned, growling low in her throat, glaring at her guard. He sneered at her and jerked her upright, a mistake he soon regretted when Miriah instinctively kneed him hard in the groin. When the man had recovered his breath, he threw her across the room. Miriah rolled, as best she could, and landed on her feet. She was about to make another attempt at the guard when she heard a lightsaber hum, and instead froze in place.

Arcann studied the small woman who had gone completely still. His father had told him she was to be feared, and he was being very careful. He waited until she looked up and motioned her to stand. "Come with me," he told her, and in the hallway, Marr waited with his own guard. They made their way slowly, silently, but Miriah knew in her heart they were on their destined path.

Corso had woken in the night, his mind filled with Miriah. Wherever she is, I hope she's able to rest up for tomorrow, he'd thought. Now, as he sat with his full plate untouched, he felt sick. What if she's hurt, or hungry? He pushed the food away and stood, going back into the lounge area to pace. Aric followed him with his eyes. "Are you sure he's going to be able to do this, Mags?" he asked his sister in law.

Mags had watched Corso too, and at Aric's question, she looked back at the Cathar. "He will be the one we'll draw the most strength from," she said. "His love for Mir will be the catalyst, and will feed our force use." Aric thought on that for a few minutes, then shrugged. He was always baffled by force users, and his family was no exception. They would meet Lana's sleek ship in an hour, the next step in their mission. Maura saw his frown and put her hand on his arm.

"He's going to be okay, hon," she said softly, and saw his slight nod. Yeah, he thought, he's going to be okay, but is this all going to work? He sipped his caffa slowly, going over each step in his head.

Lana brought her small ship to the docking side of the Dreamweaver, and locked the vessels together. Logan and she had spent the last hour talking through the navigational aspects of the mission, and they both felt ready. She heard the air lock hiss, and saw Corso come through first. He looks so stressed, she thought, and drew from the force to steady her own nerves. As the rest boarded, she made eye contact with Devin and Ian. They, with Mags and herself, would be the ones using the force to hide from the Zakuul defenses as well as rescue the prisoners. When everyone was settled, she went over again the steps, getting nods of ascent all around. When she again sat in the pilot's seat, she saw Corso take the right one. "It's good to see you again, but it will be better when this is over," she said, and saw him swallow hard.

"Mir is okay, that's the only thing that matters right now. We will get her, and be done with this," he replied, moving the navigational map closer. She watched him for a moment, then turned to the ship's controls.

Miriah and Darth Marr walked side by side down a narrow aisle, guards on either side. She'd been watching everything, and saw that the Zakuul with the cybernetics stayed well behind her. She could see him from the corner of her eye, watching them both warily. They were stopped at the entrance to another room, one she could see only a part of. It appeared to be suspended in the air, with a clear bubble around the throne at the end. This is it, she thought, and waited while the cuffs were removed from Marr. When her own remained, she sighed in frustration. Her hands hurt, and the cuffs were heavy. When they come off, my arms will be useless for a bit, she realized. They slowly made their way along another long aisle, but she felt Marr's demeanor shift from patient to infuriated.

Marr saw the man at the end of the aisle, but knew that force signature, and knew it well. He remained silent, seething, until the supposed Eternal Emperor spoke. Marr interrupted him immediately. "I know who you are," he shouted.

Miriah was confused, and the echo of the voices temporarily stunned her. Besides what was going on in the chamber, she could feel Devin, and he was close. Very close. She caught a word here and there, but didn't focus on their conversation until she heard Valkorion tell Darth Marr to kneel before him, and the resulting roar from the Sith beside her. Suddenly, purple lightening suffused the room, and Marr fell at her side.

Devin felt her panic, and told Lana what had happened. She only nodded, she'd suspected as much would happen, and was prepared. "Let's keep our focus, the shield must not drop until we are close enough to grab them both."

Miriah was stunned, and gasped when she saw the body, smoke still rising from it. She felt movement from Valkorion and turned her attention to him. He met her gaze, and took slow, halting steps toward her. She heard Devin tell her in her mind to ignore him, to stay focused, and she didn't hear what the Emperor said. As he moved closer, she finally heard what he was saying to her. "All you have to do is kneel," he said, his fatherly voice encouraging her. She knew, without a doubt, there was dark force behind the seductive voice, and immediately heard Devin tell her to hold steady.

Lana had maneuvered under the clear room, undetected. She looked through the missle targeting system, making sure she had the proper angle. "Release the force shield in three...two...one," she said. She pushed the launch button, and the missle fired at near point blank range.

Miriah was caught in Valkorion's gaze, but saw the flicker from slightly behind him. She looked up when the missle launched, and felt the shudder when it went through the clear casing around the throne.

Valkorion swore, and used his considerable force speed to take him from the now shattered room. Miriah had been knocked to her knees, and stayed there as the room emptied. She saw the crew door of Lana's ship open, and Devin hanging out of the side. She felt the force surround her, and pull her into the safety of the ship at almost the same instant she lost consciousness from lack of oxygen.

"Move! Move!" Aric yelled, sliding the door shut and moving to the turret, taking aim at the fighter defenses now swarming over them. Lana turned the ship and hit the hyperdrive, moving them away from the battle. Corso was with Mags in the medbay, where Miriah was blinking awake now that she could breathe again. Corso gave her a hard hug and kiss, then turned to help Magdalane put the very still body of Darth Marr into the kolto tank. When they had the Sith floating in the blue-green fluid, he turned to hold his wife as she shook in his arms.

Logan had received the message, which he relayed to Elara and Maura with a relieved sigh. He was at the proper meeting coordinates, and in four hours, should see Lana's ship appear off his port bow. He glanced again over the controls, only looking up when Elara gently kissed his temple. "She's okay," Elara said, "and the mission is almost done. You did an excellent job, love." He smiled up at his bride.

"This mission is over, but the battle is only beginning. Are you up for that?" he asked her, taking her hand.

"I am, as my mother was before me, a part of this family. When I talked with her about this, she told me that I was with the best team for this job." She scooted him over to sit in the pilot's seat with him. "Whatever needs to be done, count me in." She sealed her vow with a kiss.

Maura watched them from the lounge area. Aric has sent her the message about Marr, about his precarious health situation. She thought about the consequences of his death, and realized that she wanted him to live. Miriah is home, she thought, and smiled.

Corso was reluctant to let Miriah out of his arms, and instead sat in the shuttle's cargo area, her on his lap. She hadn't said much, but that was okay with him. As long as he could touch her, his world was on course. She had both hands full of his shirt, not letting him go. Devin joined them, hugging them both. Miriah finally looked at her son. "Thank you, sweetie. Everything went exactly as Lana planned it, except Marr."

"He's in the best possible hands now," Devin told her, brushing her hair away from her face. "And so are you." She smiled and put her head on Corso's shoulder. When Devin had gone to find her some water, she turned to her husband.

"I was afraid," she said to him. "Afraid you wouldn't understand, that you'd think I was pushing you away." He kissed her then, soft and sweet.

"I was, at first, pretty upset. Angry. Hurt. All those things. But when Mags told me about the multiple visions, and that no one could tell you what would happen to me, I understood the reasons." He stood, lifing her easily with him. "I just don't ever want to do something this crazy again."

"Me either," she admitted.

Lana's voice came over the intercom. "We'll be dropping out of hyperspace in five minutes. Buckle up, please." Once they were docked with the Dreamweaver, Lana crossed the small space to Miriah. "I can't thank you enough, for going through with this."

"I'm glad we were able to pull it off," Miriah answered. "What about Marr?"

"We'll do our best to get him back. I'm hoping that since we were able to get him into the tank pretty quickly, we can save him."

"Please, let us know. And keep in touch. We're not done with this, of that I'm sure," Miriah told her, seeing Lana's nod of agreement. She hugged the blond Sith, and stepped back beside Corso. When the other ship had cloaked and left, she turned to Corso.

"Let's join the others," she told him. "I'm hungry." He smiled and took her hand. "But later, I have a plan."

"Oh?"

"You see, I had this dream..."


	26. Chapter 26

"YOU HAVE WHAT IN YOUR HEAD?" Mags was yelling, but she couldn't stop herself. Miriah stood before her, her eyes downcast and weary. She'd just told her Jedi sister that there was this presence in her mind that claimed to be the Eternal Emperor. Miriah slumped into a nearby chair, days of worry building to totally exhaust her.

Mags paced, shaking her head. "Start from the beginning, and don't leave anything out," she told her sister.

Miriah sighed. "I was cuffed, standing beside Marr. He was struck down by lightning. Valkorion walked toward me and offered me the galaxy, if only I would bow before him." She let her head fall back onto the chair, and closed her eyes. "I refused, of course. When Arcann approached me with his lightsaber out, I figured I was dead and your vision was flawed." She heard Magdalane snort. "Instead, he slashed and broke the cuffs, and threw my blaster at me before attacking his father." Miriah rubbed the bridge of her nose, her fatigue making her thoughts erratic. "When I got a kill shot, I took it, and that's when the missile came through the room. Now, occasionally, I get his voice or a dream, telling me that he's here to help."

Magdalane finally sat beside her sister. "I've heard that statement before, and it never turns out well." They sat in silence for a bit, the house quiet for the time being. They'd been home for a week, and two days ago Miriah had experienced her first vision of Valkorion. "Why didn't you tell us before that you'd killed Valkorion?"

"I had been drugged, and I really couldn't remember most of it. I thought it was my imagination, and I went with Lana's version of events, I figured she'd used the force to know what had happened." Miriah rubbed her face with both hands. "The Emperor enlightened me, and I remembered it."

"If it makes you feel any better, Felix will be able to understand. He's had a Sith holocron in his brain for many years now." Mag's statement, delivered with her normal matter-of-fact tone, made Miriah turn to look at her. "What matters now is what do we do with this?"

"I need to tell Corso and Devin, for one. Valkorion wants us to kill his children, knows they will ruin all he's sought to build. Arcann wants the destruction of both the Republic and Empire to be complete, with no attempt to return." She sighed. "I really don't want to tell Corso, he's had a hard enough few weeks." Magdalane looked at her sister then, really looked, and saw that her youngest sister was beyond devastated, both physically and mentally.

"I'll do it, Mir. I'll tell them that you thought it was just nightmares."

"It might be just a nightmare, I can't tell. I do know that he wants his children dead. And I am sure, if you access the holonet, I'll be named as the one who assassinated the Eternal Emperor." She merely stared at her sister as Mags went over to the holo, and queued up a news feed, whistling low when she saw the crawler.

"You're being hailed as a hero, Mir. Look, it's everywhere. Even your face is posted." The newscaster droned on about the event, as Miriah groaned into her hands.

"We have to control this, somehow. Let me find Corso and the others, and we'll take it one step at a time," Mags said calmly. "While I take care of this, you need to rest, Mir. You're beyond going at this point."

"I can't," she said softly. "If I go to sleep, he might come back."

"Does he visit every time you sleep?"

"No, I haven't seen or heard from him since the big reveal." Miriah sighed again and rubbed her tired eyes. "He said he would help me defeat Arcann and Vaylin, but I think he won't interfere otherwise. I just don't want to risk it."

"You can't just not ever sleep, Miriah. It might be a very long time before we're in a position to defeat Arcann." She pulled her sister up, and pushed her toward her room. "Go, I'll shield you, and when you wake up, we'll start planning." She saw Miriah nod and shuffle toward her bed. When her sister collapsed on top and curled up with her pillow, she knew Miriah would at least sleep. Mags sent force shielding and calm to her, and Miriah relaxed..

Aric had been monitoring the news feeds at the office, and immediately saw the headline story. He quickly turned off the equipment and looked over at where Corso was stacking supplies onto a sled. "Hey, Cor, let's go get something to eat," he called.

Corso looked up at him with puzzlement. "We just had breakfast a little while ago. Are you pregnant and just now telling me?"

Aric threw a stress ball at his friend. "No, I just need cookies. We need cookies, for strength, you know?" Corso laughed and put a box on the sled.

"Okay, I know a hungry Cathar is the worst kind," he answered, and they took the speeder to the ranch house. When they got close enough, they could see Mags outside on the deck, Maura and Sarai with her, Felix playing ball with Calypso. Devin had been spending most of his time at the temple, but was seated in one of the lounge chairs, his long frame reclined. Ian was beside him, Logan and Elara on his other side. Why is everyone here, he wondered. He didn't have long to think about it.

Magdalane stood before the group and explained what Miriah had told her. Corso didn't question it, which made Mags ask him after the group had disbursed, "You don't seem surprised at all, Cor."

Corso hugged his sister in law. "I knew she was troubled by something, and I knew something more had happened on that ship. She killed the enemy, which was the objective. I'm proud of her." He was simply Miriah's champion, and always would be.

Devin crossed to them. "Mom is all over the holonet. She's being hailed as a hero to the Republic, and a savior to the Empire. You know this isn't over. Someone will come to ask her to lead the forces." He looked into his father's eyes. "Are you prepared for this to continue, Dad? I know it's been a rough couple of months for both of you."

"I will always do whatever Miriah needs. If it is to follow her into battle, I'm there. I know what's coming, I think we all knew it wasn't over. Lana will let us know what to do next." Corso spoke with absolute confidence in his wife. "Where is she?" he asked Mags.

"Sleeping. She hasn't had much lately." Corso swiftly walked to their room, and saw his heart lying there. He quietly approached her, not wanting to wake her, but needing to see for himself that she was okay. Her silver eyes flashed open, and her smile of relief made him warm.

"Hold me, sugar," she whispered, and of course he did, waiting until she was sleeping again to ease out of their bed and seek out his son.

Devin and Logan were in the kitchen, Logan cleaning his sniper rifle. Devin saw that his father was at peace, and sighed with relief. "Dad, I've sent supplies to the Dreamweaver, she'll be ready whenever we need her."

"I had started that myself, at the office," Corso replied, clapping Logan's shoulder and getting a wry grin in return. "We'll all be ready. What about the temple?"

"Things are going well there, and the Jedi will be ready when Mom needs them," Devin replied. He'd met with several of the older masters this morning, and everyone was aware that they would be needed in the future. "Mom is alright?" At Corso's nod, he smiled. "Logan, you and Elara were great up there, I don't know if I ever told you that." Logan looked up and grinned.

"She's great. I just do what I can," he repsonded, clanking his rifle back together.

Lana stood before the kolto tank, but knew from the readings that Marr was beyond medical help. _You know I am never really gone, Lana. Stop this nonsense and let's see what we can get started to help the Outlander._ Lana reluctantly reached over and pressed a couple of buttons, seeing the blue-green fluid drain from the chamber and Marr's body slump. _Now, where are we with the current situation._ Lana filled in the details that Marr's spirit asked for before asking him, "What do we do now?"

 _We wait. Captain Riggs will be ready soon, go to them. You have the list of people who are available to help. We must be victorious!_ Lana nodded again and headed for the bridge of her ship, the coordinates for Dantooine already programmed.

Felix was able to catch a few minutes of time with Miriah, and took one of her small hands in his. "Mir, I know it's difficult to just ignore what's going on, but you have to know that he can't make you do anything you don't choose. And from what I know, their presence is only under extreme conditions. Please, for your own health and happiness, try to not worry about it." Miriah gave him a full smile, and squeezed his hand.

"Thank you, Felix. I had no idea at all that you had some experience with this, and it's a relief to know that I won't suddenly turn on everyone." Felix stood and kissed her cheek, hoping he'd been able to ease her mind a bit. She watched as he joined Mags and Ian, and knew he was right. She could figure this out. With that being decided, she made her way across the deck to where Corso was manning the grill and slipped her arms around his waist, laying her head gently on his back.

"Hey there, darlin'," he told her, turning to wrap her in a hug. "Were you able to rest?" He felt her nod, and gently rocked back and forth with her, his cheek on her head. "Are we going to be okay here?" When she drew back to look in his eyes, confused, he elaborated. "I meant, will things change between us?"

"Heavens, no, sugar. Felix talked to me and made me realize that I am in control. Nothing should change, unless...I mean...you" She was silenced by his mouth on hers, his kiss changing her uncertainty into desire, and everyone else faded away. When they came up for air, and her hearing cleared, she realized no one had really noticed and blinked up at him. "You still love me?"

"Forever and always, cyare. I know I'll have to share you, but you're still mine. I'm still yours." He kissed her again, but they didn't escape notice this time, and when they broke, eyes shining, they heard the applause. "You all are just jealous," Corso grumbled, but his smile was for Miriah.

The next morning, Lana approached the farm house, uncertain of her welcome. She knew, through the force, that Miriah now knew what had actually happened on that ship. She knocked hesitantly, and was startled when the door opened before she'd retracted her hand. "Corso!" she exclaimed, and was rewarded with his smile.

"Come in, Lana," he told her. "We're just cooking breakfast. Come, join us." He led her into the kitchen, where the Riggs clan was gathered along with Maura and Aric. Miriah sat between her daugther and youngest son, while Devin was cooking, and looked well. Lana was taken aback by their apparent casualness.

"I thought I'd be walking into chaos," she admitted. "Have you seen the holonet?" They nodded at her, and Aric laughed at her expression. "No one is upset? Or angry? Or..." Aric interruped her.

"We knew, when we left your ship, that this wasn't over. In the past, we've been subject to the orders and whims of leaders who only had their own interests at heart. That won't be the case this time," he explained, and Lana's face showed when she understood what he was saying.

"And you always knew that Miriah wouldn't be alone in this," Devin commented, turning bantha sausage on the cooktop.

"Yes, indeed," Corso said, walking over to where Miriah sat to drop a kiss on her head. Lana felt the tension she'd been carrying since the last time she'd been with this family drop, and took a deep breath.

"We weren't able to save Darth Marr," she said softly.

Devin nodded, he'd felt the shift in the force when his body had expired. "I know," he said simply. "He was so strongly connected to the dark side that his force ghost remains. I have seen it." Lana stared at the young man, her mouth open, until Corso chuckled at her.

"Relax, Lana. We've got things under control. Everyone's on board." He walked to her and took her arm. "Here, sit. We'll have breakfast, and then you can tell us what comes next." Lana was silent and did as Corso instructed.

Aric watched the scene, and knew that Lana hadn't expected to be welcome, much less part of the family. Family, he thought. She has no idea how special this one is.


	27. Chapter 27

I hate swamps, Miriah thought, wiping sweat from her face with the hem of her shirt. Why do we need this old ship anyway? I can't imagine it's really what that Koth fellow says it is. She sighed. Ten days, seven hours, fifty-three minutes since she'd been in Corso's arms, and she missed him. The headache she'd had for days now pulsed in her skull. Lana had said it was essential that she go with this group to raise this ship. So far, the mission had been exhausting and unsuccessful. They'd gotten partial power, but there was still a lot to do. She'd been in contact with her ship exactly once, afraid of the signals being traced. She looked up as the HK droid ran past, chasing a crab, and shook her head. I want to be home, she thought.

Corso and Aric sat on the bridge of the Dreamweaver, caffa in hand, sipping in silence. Aric knew his friend was tired, he'd gotten up in the middle of the night to see the Mantellian pacing the lounge, unable to sleep. Finally he could take it no longer, and spoke. "Nothing yet?" he asked.

Corso answered without taking his eyes from the stars. "Nope. I keep thinking that Lana will let Devin know something in the force, but she hasn't. This wasn't the deal." He clearly remembered Lana assuring him that they would stay in touch as much as possible, and he wasn't happy. His worry had clouded his mind to the point that he felt sick. Dev felt no deception, he thought, but I don't trust that crew. Lana, he was okay with, but the other guy? Corso shook his head slightly. He was musing about getting Miriah back on the ship when he heard footsteps running to the bridge.

"Dad! We need to get out of here, right now!" Devin said breathlessly, seeing his uncle in the right hand seat. Corso didn't even ask, he just turned the ship slightly and hit the hyperdrive, Makeb the destination set in the computer. When they were safely away, Corso turned to his son. Devin sat in a side seat, his force aura wavering. "Arcann's ships were about to decloak off our bow," he said, not looking up.

"So, we just left Mom there, with the others, and Arcann pursuing them," Corso said, unbelief in his voice.

"Lana knows he's there, that's how I knew," Devin said. "They're all fine, Mom is miserable without you, but Lana thinks they can raise the ship very soon." He saw his father's face fall for a moment, then Corso took a deep breath and emptied his mug.

"I want to know when you do, what's going on down there," Corso said, rising to move down the hallway. Aric looked at his nephew for a moment.

"He needs to sleep," Aric said, and saw Devin nod. "He needs Mir back."

"This has to be done," Devin said, "I've seen it." Aric studied the tall, broad shouldered young man.

"Then we'll do it," Aric said. Devin left his uncle on the bridge to find his dad, who was again pacing the lounge.

Miriah heard automatic plasma rifle fire, and hurried to the ship's ramp. When she saw a small mountain of crab bodies, she looked to the side at the HK unit, his rifle still glowing, and shook her head. Before she could go back into the ship, she heard Lana's voice. "Incoming! Zakuul forces on the ground! Prepare for battle!" Miriah drew her blaster and chambered a round in her shotgun, ready for whatever landed before her. Lana's lightsaber hummed to life to her right, and she heard Koth's blaster whine as it powered up. HK was already advancing towards the swamp's entrance, where Miriah could see the sunlight glinting off the highly polished armor. Wish I had Cor here, she thought, and then the battle was on. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a Zakuul knight strike another knight down, but when she turned, no one was there. She continued to fight, as did the others, until the swamp was quiet. Miriah pulled out her kolto injector to patch up any wounds, and saw a Zakuul knight appear from behind a tree. She'd pulled her blaster out again, ready to fire, when she saw Lana approach the knight and the knight removed her helmet. Lana hugged the other woman, and together they made their way to the ship's ramp, where Miriah stood watching them. "So this is the Outlander I've been hearing so much about," the knight said, her voice melodic. "I am Senya Tirall." She held out an armored hand, stopped to remove her gauntlet, and extended her hand to Miriah, who took it for a moment. The shake was firm but not crushing, saying a lot about it's owner.

"You're Lana's contact on the inside," Miriah realized as she looked over at the two. Before she could say more, Koth's yell broke the silence.

"You! Why are you here?" he demanded, glaring at Senya, his hands on his hips as he raised his eyes to the sky. "We need to get out of here, right now!" They made their way into the ship and, with fingers crossed and a quick prayer to the force, Miriah hit the power generators. She was rewarded by the steady hum of the sublight drives as they came up to speed.

"We will need to help," Lana said. "Senya, let's go." Lana and her friend made their way outside, where they used force power to slowly lift the ancient ship from the swap. When it was clear of the vegetation, the women boarded again and Kothe piloted the ship skyward, letting out a whoop that made Miriah miss Corso even more. As they broke atmosphere, they saw the fleet of Arcann's ships waiting for them.

"Powering up the Omnicannon!" Miriah could hear the hope and excitement in Koth's voice just before he was drowned out by the loud buzzing noise of the only weapon said in legend to have defeated the Eternal Fleet. When the cannon fired, the sudden silence startled them all for a few seconds, before the explosions of the enemy ships could be heard through the ship's sensors. "Whew," Koth breathed through the ship's comm. "I'm setting course for Asylum, my crew will meet us there."

Miriah caught Lana's scowl before she smoothed her features and looked around the bridge. "Miriah, I think it's safe to have your ship meet us there. I'll send the coordinates to Devin, okay?" Miriah nodded her assent, and sat in one of the many stations on the huge ship. She wanted to smile at the prospect of getting back to her family, but she was just too tired. Instead, she closed her gritty eyes and rested her head on the seat. Tomorrow, she thought.

Devin was making dinner when he heard Lana's voice through the force, telling him where to go to meet. He immediately washed his hands and ran to tell his father and uncle. "Dad! I have a meeting place. They're all okay and aboard a ship, heading here," he put the coordinates into the navigational computer, smiling. "We can be there tomorrow." Corso grinned at Aric, who grinned back. "I'll let Nana know, and she can tell the others." Corso felt his insides settle at the thought of having his wife back on board her own ship, and he laughed as he watched Devin leap in the air and pump his fist. "Yes!"

After an endless night, Corso stood on the bridge, waiting to dock with the Asylum port. Out the windscreen they could see a huge vessel, old and new scores to its hull. Aric had been quiet since he woke, and now turned to look at the Gravestone. The name tickled something in his memory, but he couldn't quite pull it up. Still, he mused, if Spitfire was aboard, I know she could fly it. He'd come along on this trip mostly as moral support, but he had a bad feeling about getting Miriah back. If he had to verbalize it, he thought, it would be that he had a hunch that there was a greater need out there, and they were only starting the journey. He was shaken from his reverie when the Dreamweaver locked onto the port, and stood with Corso. "I'm going to get us rooms," he told Corso. "Just in case we end up here for a couple of days." Corso gave him a slight frown but agreed, and they stood at the air lock, waiting for the door on the port side to open.

Miriah sat in the cantina booth, in the darkest corner. She still wasn't sure about the inhabitants of Asylum, even though Koth vouched for them. She had gotten some looks on her way over here, some shocked, some even afraid. She sipped her Hutt tequila and absently rubbed her neck. It had been a long time since she'd turned to alcohol for stress relief and sleep, but until she could be back on her own ship with Corso, she felt she didn't have many choices. She felt the pressure to succeed, the hopes of her colleagues, the presence of Valkorion, all of it. She took a larger sip, set the now empty glass along with it's seven siblings, and put her head in her hands, closing her eyes.

Corso spotted Lana only moments after leaving the ship, her golden hair easy to spot even in the throngs of people walking the promenade. She saw them and started toward them, her face more relaxed than Corso had seen it since Yavin. "Great to see you all," she said. "I know Miriah will be happy."

"How is she?" Devin asked, Corso unable to speak around the tightness in his throat, knowing she was safe.

"She is well, Devin, I promise. She was heading to the cantina," Lana turned and pointed. Corso needed no other information, and without saying a word, headed toward the door. Lana chuckled. "She's missed him, too. They really depend on each other, don't they?"

Aric nodded. "They are totally connected, sometimes I think their cells talk to each other. They've always been that way." They chatted for a minute, then Lana gave Aric directions to the inn. As Aric walked away, Lana turned to Devin. The young Jedi was looking at her, his eyes holding many questions. Lana took a deep breath and prepared herself.

"What's the next step?" Devin folded his arms over his chest.

"I believe we need to find Koth's engineer. He says she's the only one who can work on the technology contained in this ship." She pointed over her shoulder at the old vessel they'd seen.

"So that's the Gravestone," he said. Lana nodded. "Okay, so where do we get started?" Lana smiled at him and led him to the ship.

Corso stood at the door, giving his eyes time to adjust to the dimness of the interior. Once he could see, his eyes roamed over the tables. With her head down, Miriah's black hair almost hid her from view, but Corso spotted the bottle of Hutt tequila on the table, and knew he'd found her. When he was a few steps away from the table, he saw her draw her blaster before she'd even looked up, and stopped. "Darlin', don't shoot," he said, his voice bringing her head up quickly. Miriah shot out of her seat, and he caught her in his arms.

"Sugar, you're the best thing I've seen in a good while," she murmured as he kissed her.

"Not sleeping, I see," Corso teased her.

"You either," she said, and he nodded. They sat back down and Corso sent a message to Aric and Devin about where they were. His eyes couldn't get enough of her, and he brushed her hair away from her face. His warm hands found the knots of tension in her neck, and gently kneaded them, getting a long sigh.

"Aric is getting rooms for us. When he messages back, we can go and you can get some rest. I won't let anything bother you," he told her, before bending to kiss her again. She turned sideways and put her head on his shoulder.

"Feels so good to touch you," she said, her voice soft. He realized she was finally relaxing, and counted the empty glasses on the table. He lifted the bottle with his free hand, and shook it. Empty. He gathered her closer, knowing she was almost asleep.

"Love you, Mir. Rest. I've got you." And I'm not letting go.


	28. Chapter 28

Corso felt her mouth on his, and he took his time waking up. It was still dark, and he'd known that Miriah wouldn't sleep all night after conking out that afternoon, but he'd never left her side. Her lips were warm and soft, and he wrapped her in his arms, returning her ardent kiss. When she broke it to breathe, she ran gentle fingertips down his cheek, looking deep into his eyes. Their connection was good, he thought, and relief flooded through him. "I put some water on the table," he told her, and she smiled.

"You always take care of me, sugar." She sat up and drank deeply. It had been many years since she'd drank to excess, and she knew she couldn't do it often. She shook her head slowly. "I need you, Cor. So much. I don't want to go any further into this without you. I can't," she said, lying back down, her head on his shoulder.

"You won't have to, my love. You haven't slept nor eaten much in the past two weeks, and that stops now." Corso stood, and crossed to the small warmer that was in the room. "Aric brought you some of the meals we had on our ship," he told her, pulling her up by her hand. "Here, sit." He led her to the small table and put a steaming plate of food in front of her. Miriah took the fork in her hand, but found she wasn't hungry for food, but for her husband. She looked at him under her lashes, and he shook his head. "You need to take better care of yourself, sweetheart. Not until you eat a little." She smiled, but had heard the steel under his words. He's right, she thought, but all the fighting and stress made her pick at her food. When she'd eaten a couple of bites, Corso sat beside her, weaving the fingers of her free hand through his. "Calypso is doing great with Sarai, I talked to her this afternoon. You can call her tomorrow...or, later today, that is," he said, looking at his wrist chrono. "Devin is next door, and Logan is doing well on the ranch." He stoked her hand softly with his thumb, and waited.

"How are Maura and Mags?" she asked, taking another bite.

"Chomping at the bit to be here with you," he said with a soft chuckle. "We all worry, darlin'."

"I know," she said. "I worry, too. I feel like so many things depend on me right now, and I still have some issues from the carbonite, like the nightmares. Today is the first time since I left the Dreamweaver that I've slept more than an hour or two at a stretch," she confessed. He leaned over and kissed her temple.

"One step at a time. You recover for a day or so, and then we find this engineer." Corso was determined that she was going to have a chance to regroup. "Vortena's crew is working on the ship now anyway." He watched as she slowly took another bite, and wondered how she was even functioning. Lana had told Devin she'd been having headaches, and he couldn't help but wonder if Valkorion was the cause. She raised their joined hands and kissed them, pushing her food away to drape herself across him. He knew she was finished, and saw that she'd eaten about half of the plate full, more than he'd figured she would, and stood to take her to the bed.

Devin felt when his mother woke, and smiled. He'd been sleeping, but only lightly. He knew Miriah needed a little decompression time, and now that he knew she was feeling more rested, he could sleep. He felt the relief of his father and relaxed himself. He'd spent some time with Lana going over the ship, and knew that the engineer would be next. He felt strange here, he realized. Both dark and light force users everywhere, but no apparent hostility. Then there was this enclave, he felt, of others- not typical force users, not telepaths, but more like the Voss. Lana had told him they were Scions, but she didn't get a chance to tell him about them, being interrupted by Koth and a crew memeber with questions. The Zakuul natives that had left the planet on the Gravestone had asked for jobs, and Lana gladly gave them all assignments. Devin felt the desperation and joy, the fear and the humanity, in the ship, and knew his mother would have had her hands full the past ten days. He felt the flare of passion from his parents and blushed, turning his mind from them as he always did. It brought Mia to his mind, though, and the thoughts he'd begun to have of her, even though he tried to stop them. He sighed, and closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep.

Aric had written Maura an encrypted message, and now put his datapad on the table beside the bed. He missed her, and had taken to writing her lovely, romantic notes every day. He'd toyed with the idea of telling her to round up the others and be ready to leave on the Windwalker, meet them at the edge of charted space. He typed the words once, twice, but erased them each time. He knew, without a doubt, that if he asked, they'd all be ready to take off from Dantooine within the hour. He decided he'd ask Spitfire about it in the morning, and finally turned off his light, sinking into the comfort of the bed, asleep almost immediately.

Corso was working the knots out of his wife's back, feeling the stress of the past two weeks under his fingertips. He tried to be gentle, but he knew that she'd feel better once her muscles were relaxed. He had been quiet, but Miriah felt he wanted to talk. "I know you have questions, sugar. What are you wanting to know?"

"Does he talk to you? Valkorion?" he asked, moving the sheet of ebony hair to the side to reach her neck.

"Not all the time. And I can't just call him." She sighed. "He can slow time, and when he does, he tells me something I need to know. About the situation, or the opponent. And he tells me he can help, if I would only accept his power. As if," she snorted. Corso was quiet, he'd been unsure about what was happening with the former emperor, and her words were helpful. "Koth worships Valkorion, and always tells me how wonderful Zakuul was under him."

"Arcann is much different, then," Corso murmured. He truly did want to know what was going on in Miriah's head, but having her under him, naked and languid, was distracting him.

"His daughter, Vaylin, is insane and very powerful. Think bad Sith times a hundred." Corso's hands stilled, this was the first he'd heard of a daughter.

"You've fought her?"

"Not exactly. One of the little visions Valk took me on was to the throne, where she and Arcann were discussing their coup. She could sense me, us." Corso swallowed a lump of worry, and tried to calm his thoughts.

"I'll run a hot bath, darlin'. You need to drink some more water," he told her, standing to cross to the fresher.

Miriah rolled over and stretched. She did feel better, she thought. She knew Corso was worried, but she was determined to have him with her from now on. She stood and poured another glass of the icy water, sipping slowly on it as she crossed to where she could hear the water running. She stood propped on the door frame, and when Corso looked up, she saw the raw desire in his eyes. When he stood, she hugged him to her. "Join me, sugar," she whispered, but he shook his head.

"You go ahead, I'll sit here with you. Then, more rest." He sat on the floor as she lowered her tired body into the hot, fragrant water. He'd remembered to bring along some of her favorite things, and she teared up. She was a lucky woman, she thought, to have such a thoughtful partner. I love him so much. She reached to him and he immediately took her hand, kissing her palm.

When Corso had Miriah tucked into bed, he'd gone to the other small room to wash the plate when a light knock startled him. Lana was at the door when he opened it. "Oh no, no, no. She's sleeping, Lana. You won't wake her," he said, glaring at the Sith.

"No, I don't want to wake her," Lana said. "I wanted to talk to you." Corso eyed her with a trace of suspicion.

"If she wants me with her, that's how it will be," he said, crossing his muscled arms over his equally muscled chest.

"No doubt," Lana replied. "I just wanted to ask you if Devin and Aric would stay as well." Corso relaxed, and motioned for Lana to join him on the small sofa.

"You couldn't budge Devin from here for anything," he said. "I'm sure Aric feels the same way. We're here for Mir, for your group. What do you need?" He saw Lana sink into the cushions, and realized that she was as tired as Miriah had been. He stood and walked to the cooler, taking out more food and water, preparing to feed Lana.

Lana was termporarily distracted by the softness of the sofa, and felt some of the stress leave her body. She closed her eyes, enjoying the silence. Finally she spoke. "I'd love to have Aric train some of the crew with long range weapons. So far, they're good with blasters, but that's all." Her nose twitched as the smell of hot food reached it, and she opened one eye. "Is that nerf I smell?"

Corso grinned. "It is indeed, grown on our ranch. Here," he said, handing her a huge nerf burger on a plate. Lana sat up quickly, taking the plate in her own hands, her eyes now open wide.

"Thank you," she breathed, before taking a huge bite. She closed her eyes again as she chewed, and Corso wondered how long it had been since she'd had a good meal. Probably breakfast with us, three weeks ago, he thought. "This is, quite possibly, the best thing I've eaten in forever!" Corso sat quietly, happy that Lana was enjoying the food. When she'd finished, she thanked him again.

"Lana, you're part of us now. Please, you both need to take better care of yourselves," he told her. She finished the bottle of water and sat back. "Now, you stretch out there and rest. We'll talk more in the morning."

Lana wanted to protest, but being warm and full was too comforting to do anything but close her tired eyes. When she finally put her feet up, Corso covered her with a soft throw, and returned to bed with Miriah. He kissed his wife softly on the head and she snuggled into his body, her head on his shoulder.

Magdalane was missing her sister, wondering what was going on. They knew that Devin and Corso and Aric were with her now, but not where, or how she was. Her hands moved on their own, and it was only minutes later that she realized what she was doing. She was packing. She had her most treasured items folded into her robes, her lightsaber crystal box on top. She stood there, her mouth open, not sure why she was even in this room. Felix found her there a minute later, their force connection still strong. "Hon, we're going somewhere?" he asked, pointing to his own bag laden with his armor. Mags shook her head and chuckled.

"I think we need to be prepared to leave, sweetie. I guess subconsciously I started preparing." She pulled him to her, and he wrapped his arms around her, rocking gently. He would go wherever she told him, he knew.

Maura opened the message from Aric. He's been so sweet lately, she thought with a smile. She sat to read.

 _My dearest,_

 _We've got Spitfire back with us, and if I know Corso, he's not letting her out of his sight. I was talking to Lana, and I realized they've always had this amazing connection. We've always had one, too. I clearly remember the first time I saw you on Ord Mantell, and how beautiful you were._

 _You're even more beautiful now, love. My heart misses you every minute. Be prepared to be loved when I see you again. Hopefully that will be soon, whether here or there._

 _Until I can hold you in my arms again, I remain yours._

 _Aric_

I hope the ship is ready, she thought, as she began to pull armor from the chest at the foot of the bed.


	29. Chapter 29

Corso muttered a swear as he banged his head, again, on the low-slung underbelly of the Gravestone's main hyperdrive engine. He reached a greasy hand up and streaked black down his face as he rubbed the sore spot. At least the Zakuulan hadn't seen it, he thought, a scowl on his face. Just as he'd relaxed his face, he heard the other man approaching, and closed his eyes.

"Hey, how's it going under there?" Koth asked, his voice relaying his happiness at having help.

"It's going," Corso replied, rolling out from under the huge engine. "I'm going to need those parts before I can do much more." Tora came bounding up to them.

"I'm all done, I'm just that good," she gloated, and jumped onto the cowling to sit. Corso was amazed that Miriah had rescued such an annoying person, but he just shrugged. "Hey, you two look alike, are you.."

"NO!" they answered together, and glared at each other. Corso didn't like the man, that was obvious. He ran his dirty hands through his hair, and wondered why he'd never bothered to grow the dreds again, but then remembered how much Miriah loved to brush the silky strands away from his face, and hold onto handfuls of it. Like this morning when she threaded her fingers in it, her eyes closed, a throaty purr coming from her soft lips as he kissed the delicate skin of her belly… his thoughts drifted into the early morning loving they'd enjoyed, and his mind settled. He decided he'd go shower, pushing the tools he'd been using away so that he could stand.

"The hyperdrive lines are in place," he said, avoiding Koth's gaze, and started to walk away. He met Devin in the hallway, and they turned to the exit together. "How's your day, son?"

"I'm good, Dad. Glad to be with Mom again. It's just… I can't feel her, right now." Devin looked concerned, but not overly worried, so Corso just shrugged.

"I know she's with Senya and the HK droid, so I'm sure she's well protected," he replied, and when they reached the Dreamweaver, he turned to his oldest son. "Senya wanted her to meet the Scions," he explained. "I'm sure it's just a meeting of colleagues." Devin nodded, and tried to push the worry from his face. Corso made his way into their quarters, figuring that since he had to get clean clothes here, he might as well use the shower here rather than going back to the inn. When he was done, he went to the airlock, but as he reached for the switch, he felt a shudder pass over him, and put his hand instead on Torchy. The feeling passed, but he hurried off the ramp, and approached the Gravestone, seeing Lana's hair in the distance. As he got near, she looked up at him with a smile.

"Corso, thanks so much for last night," she said, causing the others to look at them strangely. Lana continued, "The food was excellent, and even if the sofa was short, it was the best sleep I've had in a long time." The others around them went back to their tasks, and Lana giggled softly. "Miriah told me that would be fun to do, and she was right."

Corso grinned at her. "Yeah, Miriah likes to shock the pants off people. I hear she was a little terror as a child."

"I can well imagine. Some of the things she thinks of to say, so quickly, make me laugh, even if I don't always show it." She looked past the tall Mantellian, and a frown appeared on her face. Corso turned to see the HK droid that had been with Miriah stagger up, sparks still moving over his shiny surface. "HK, what happened? Where's the Outlander?"

"I have no recollection," he said, his voice modulator wavering.

"You took her to rescue Tora, and then to Senya," Lana explained.

"I have nothing in my memory that indicates those events." Lana motioned to the nearby engineer and pointed at the droid, who followed him into the ship. Koth had joined them when Lana turned to Corso. "We need to find her."

Corso nodded, and started off toward the port, Koth, HK, and Lana behind him. Devin met them at the entrance, a questioning look on his face. When he realized where they were heading, he fell into step beside his father, his right hand on his light saber hilt. Aric joined them seconds later, having gotten Devin's message, his cannon in it's pre fight warm up.

"I knew she wouldn't be safe here," Aric muttered, seeing Corso's frown. "We'll get her, I promise." Corso nodded, not sure she was in danger but not willing to take the chance.

They made their way into the sketchy part of the area, and moved more cautiously. They saw a trail of bodies, most with smoking plasma bolt holes, and knew Miriah had been this way. Corso led the group, Devin right at his side, Aric on the other. Lana watched the men as they moved forward. Senya had better be right about this, she thought.

Miriah stood in the center of the room, where an image of Arcann stood, and knew it wasn't really him. Instead this Heskal guy, who had insisted on a trial, was using the force to try and intimidate her. Valkorion had been speaking to her since the trial started, and now was offering again to give her his power.

Miriah again denied his power, and again took her blaster in hand. This is only annoying, she thought, as she saw Senya slice at the Scion.

" _He knows there is more than what he can discern from you, and thinks that he can figure out what that is."_ Valkorion's voice echoed around her, but she knew she was the only one who could hear it. As the fight wore on, Heskal slowed as he tired, and Miriah again heard Valkorion. " _I can end this. You don't have to keep fighting."_ Miriah ignored him as she saw Heskal fall, and raise his hand in surrender.

Senya was catching her breath when the door exploded, Aric's cannon smoking as the rest walked through. Corso ran to his beloved, and touched her shoulder. Miriah took his hand in hers as she holstered her blaster. She looked at the Scion on the floor, now subdued. "Join us or don't. I don't care. Either way, we're done here."

Heskal glared and spoke. "I see it now. You can't hide it forever. He resides in you, that's why the veil couldn't be broken. Valkorion won't be satisfied with being second place, you know."

No one moved for a second, then Koth looked at the Outlander. "He's inside your mind? Why didn't you say something?" he demanded.

Miriah sighed, and turned to the Zakuulan. "Exactly that reaction," she told him.

Lana stepped between them. "It couldn't remain a secret forever," she stated. They turned to leave, but Senya's voice stopped them.

"I have not been truthful. I have not revealed the reason I stood with you for this trial," she said, in her melodic voice. The group waited for her to continue. "I stood with you because I know that Arcann and Vaylin must be stopped. I will be with you until they are gone from power. I will stand with you against…. My children." Senya hung her head, not willing to show the tears that shone from her eyes.

" _She told you! How delightful! Hahahaha!"_ Valkorion's voice rang through Miriah's head. Miriah could only stare at her new friend, who finally gained control over her emotions. No one spoke as they left the area, and Miriah was content to let Devin and Corso touch her, knowing they needed the reassurance that she was unhurt. Lana and Koth followed them, Aric bringing up the rear, ever watchful for trouble, his cannon quiet now but ready.

Corso squeezed his wife's hand, and felt her return it. He'd been so relieved to see her, and tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. Devin had his hand on her other arm, and Corso smiled when he saw it. We've been through so much, lost her and found her again, he thought. We both just need to be reassured that she's here.

Miriah was quiet, trying to sort out the information she'd had shoved into her head. So, Senya and Valk, and then kids. She shook her head, hoping he didn't come to talk right now. He'd told her before that she was a part of him that he didn't want to give up, but he would fight his own children? She thought about Logan and Devin, and knew without a doubt that she could never hurt them, even if they'd turned into monsters. She quieted her thoughts when she felt Devin's force aura whisper over her. She smiled at him, and told him with her mind that she was fine, just trying to digest all the information. He put his arm around her slender shoulders, and kissed her head as they walked.

When they reached the inn, Lana, Koth and Senya went to the Gravestone to debrief. Miriah and her family gathered in her room, and finally felt like they could relax. HK stood guard, even though Miriah had told him she was fine. He'd been insistant.

"Statement: I will not be deterred from protecting my master again." She'd let him stay.

Miriah collapsed on the sofa. "I feel like we're getting closer to answers, but getting more questions," she said, sliding a wry grin to her husband. He leaned over to kiss her, and felt her relax.

"I know, I may need to keep track of everyone and their relations on my datapad," Aric said. "Who would have thought that a Knight of Zakuul would have had children with the Emperor? I thought their traditions would have prevented that." Devin sat at the small table and sipped the caffa Aric had just made.

Corso had done some research. "I read that the Knights rotated often so that none would form personal relationships with the royal family. Not sure if that was before or after Senya," he said, pulling the tall boots from his wife's feet. He smiled at the socks, which had little blasters printed on them, and remembered the gift from Calypso. He put Miriah's feet in his lap, gently rubbing her toes. They startled at the knock on the door. HK appeared with a box of food from one of the local vendors, and left quickly, taking up his post at the door.

"If that's the roast gorak, I'd advise against it," Miriah told them. "I've heard things." Aric peeked under the cover of the container, and quickly drew back, disgust on his face.

"I think it's dissolving the plastic," he said, and took the box to the disposer. Miriah rose, and made her way to the small kitchen.

"What did you guys bring from the ship? I can whip up something," she said, rummaging through the insulated crate. She brought out some seasoned bantha and bread that she'd baked before they left, and soon after the sandwiches were ready. They ate silently in the late afternoon, the day catching up to them. Finally, Miriah spoke. "We're going to have to figure out how to get the Gravestone up and running again. Cor, you worked on it today?"

"Yeah," he replied. "The hyperdrive needs more parts, and even then, I'm not sure about whether we're putting them in the right places. Koth knows more about the technology than I do, but even he seems confused." He and Aric were picking up the dishes and putting things away. Devin had been quiet, and now Miriah noticed that he was pulling into himself. She sat beside him, and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Dev?" she asked, and saw him turn his face to hers, the emotions there unreadable. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, Mom," he said, his forehead touching hers. "I need to sort out some things, and I think I need to talk to you about it, but not just yet." He'd been thinking of Mia, and wondering why he was having trouble verbalizing his thoughts. Miriah only smiled, and patted his cheek.

"Anytime, sweetie," she told him. When he'd gone to his room, she turned to Aric and Corso.

"In case I didn't tell you, because you were drunk yesterday," Aric smirked, "it's good to have you back with us, Spitfire."

"I was relaxed," she said defensively, before laughing. "It had been so long since I'd been relaxed enough to sleep."

"It's okay, darlin'. You sure needed it," Corso said. Aric said his goodnights and left them alone, cuddling on the couch. "We could end the day as we began it," he suggested, leaning in for a long kiss. They stood and made their way to the bed, knowing that every day they had together was a precious gift.

Aric put his datapad away after sending his nightly note to Maura, but wondered if he'd have to get up and take a cold shower before he could sleep. He had no idea that Maura opened it at the spaceport on Makeb, as they stopped to refuel before heading into uncharted space. She grinned and blushed as she read.

 _Dearest Maura,_

 _It's been interesting today, and some of the things that have happened reminded me of how unlikely couples could be great together. I tried to keep my feelings for you hidden for a long time, but when I did let them out, I was afraid I'd hurt you, I wanted you so much. Cathar aren't necessarily known for being gentle lovers, but I tried._

 _I want you, love. I can't wait to have you under me, writhing in pleasure. Think about that, and have some wonderful dreams of us, together._

 _Love you,_

 _Aric_


	30. Chapter 30

Magdalane stood and stretched, and realized that the quarters on the Windwalker were as much home to her as her own house. She glanced over at Felix and smiled, he'd been eager to join Aric and Corso, and hadn't slept well until now. She dressed and made her way out into the main part of the ship. She'd only taken a few steps when she smelled the cinnamon and butter wafting from the galley, and knew that Elara was already up and cooking. She joined the young woman, grabbing a mug from the cabinet. "Smells wonderful, Elara. Thank you for getting started this morning."

Elara blushed, and continued to roll the fragrant dough. "I love the recipes that Miriah recorded. They're easy to read and make, and her taste is exquisite." Mags saw that she had propped the vellum pages against the edge of the caffa machine, and was careful not to bump them when she filled her mug. They were joined by Logan shortly, following his nose much as his aunt had done. Maura wandered in, and the sisters took their caffa to the lounge area.

"We'll be ready to go soon, I just sent the message to Aric, but he hasn't repsonded yet," Maura told Mags. "Coordinates will be a little trickier, but I have confidence in Logan's ability to get us where we need to go."

"Ian says he can feel Devin, but he's pretty far away. I can feel him in the force, but hate to disturb his sleep. Apparently, they've been rather busy, wherever they are." Mags busied herself flicking through the holonet. Still docked at Makeb's orbital station, they had access to many things, but hated leaving the ship. Maura sipped her caffa, thinking of Aric and his nightly notes. Mags felt the rush of emotion from her sister, but didn't question her. At least she's not as strong as Mir, Mags thought.

Miriah and Corso had just boarded the Dreamweaver when Lana got a message from Teeseven. "He has a lead on someone called the Lady of Sorrows, who wants to speak to us about the Gravestone," she relayed to the group.

"So, you're proposing going back into the depths of Zakuul?" Corso wondered. "Doesn't sound safe at all to me."

"I am well acquainted with the Old World," Senya offered. "I will go, we can get in and out quickly."

Miriah stood, thinking. She really, really didn't want to be separated from Corso, but she also knew that Senya was the best partner for this mission. She sighed, and rubbed her temples. "Cor, sugar, come with us in the shuttle. Senya is right, she can get us in and out quickly." She turned to Lana. "Teeseven will meet us?" Lana nodded, and Miriah walked back to the Dreamweaver to retrieve a gear bag, unwilling to be without what she considered essentials for combat. Corso walked with her, silent until they'd passed through the air lock onto the ship. When she stopped and turned to him, he hugged her.

"It'll be okay, darlin'," he told her, gently rocking her in his arms. He felt her nod, and pulled back to look into her eyes. "What's worrying you?"

"I didn't want to leave you behind again," she told him. "I don't really know what it is, just that things don't feel right, somehow." She sighed, rubbing her temples again. "Devin and Aric..."

"They'll be just fine here. I'd rather they keep the Gravestone safe," he replied, turning to the weapons lockers. "I'll just put a few extra power packs in, and we should be set." He rummaged in the box, grabbing a small set of tools and some cleaning oil as well. Miriah just watched him, amazed that he seemed resigned to not being at her side the whole journey. He felt her watching him, and turned with a grin. "What?"

"I guess I didn't think you'd be happy with this arrangement. I thought you'd be angry with me, or with the whole crazy plan." She gave him a wobbly smile, unsure about what he was thinking. Corso crossed to her, taking her hands in his.

"As long as I'm with you, in some way, and not left in the dark, then I will do my best to be the least of your worries, darlin'. You have enough pressure on you right now, all I want to do is take some of the burden, if I can." He brought one of her hands to his lips, and felt her relax. "I'm here for you, Mir. Whatever you need, you know you can count on me." She put her head on his chest.

"I do know that, sugar. I sometimes feel like I put too much on you, though."

"Sweetheart, for so many years, I thought you were gone. I can remember thinking, if only she were here, if only I could see her again, I'd do anything. Endure anything. Give up anything." Corso stepped over to the sofa, and sat, pulling her with him. His voice softened, and Miriah had to strain to hear his words. "I have you back, love. Something I never dreamed would come true. And so much has happened since I saw you in that carbonite chamber. I feel so damned lucky, every single day, that you are here with me. I can take on anything, knowing that." He kissed the top of her head, and sighed in contentment. Miriah was silent, but felt like she was home, there in his arms. They spent a few minutes being still, before going back to the Gravestone, hand in hand.

Lana asked for a moment before they boarded the shuttle, and she and Miriah walked the long way around. "There is a decided lack of trust among our group at the moment," she stated. "I wanted to ask you to try to trust Senya. It will go a long way toward making the group more cohesive."

"I will do my best, Lana. I know, with all the information that's come out in the past few days, my brain is on overload. I'm sure we all need a little processing time." Miriah saw Corso boarding the shuttle across the bay. "I feel better with Corso with me, at least. Devin and Aric will work with Koth's crew here, and we should be back soon." Lana nodded at her friend.

"May the force serve you well out there," she said, and flashed a smile at Senya as the knight approached.

Corso piloted the shuttle, Miriah in the other seat on the small bridge. They had a couple of hours of flight, and he knew Miriah had been restless all night. As they engaged the autopilot, he turned to her. "Darlin', close those pretty eyes. You need to be rested, and I know that you didn't sleep well last night."

Miriah grinned at him, and nodded. "Kept waking up, not sure why. I didn't have a nightmare, but I do have a little headache today." Corso watched her, worried about the frequency of her headaches lately. Senya felt the little aches in the force, and started to sing softly behind Miriah. They were transported by her lovely voice, and in minutes, Corso saw Miriah's eyes flutter closed.

Senya ended her song, and spoke quietly. "She is still suffering from carbonite poisoning," she said. "To have been in stasis that long, it's a miracle she came out of it." Corso nodded, swallowing hard. Thinking of his love being slowly poisoned, away from her family, alone and cold, brought a hard lump to his throat.

"She's a fighter, always has been," he replied, but Senya saw the worry in his face. "She has no idea how special she is, to so many people. She thinks she's just a regular woman who happens to be a good shot, and has been in the right place at the right time in her life. Her crew, we all knew. She was the brains of it all. Even in the family, she's the glue." He looked at Miriah's features, relaxed in sleep. "She's my world, Senya. I'm trusting you with her, down here." Senya met his eyes, saw the deep love there, and nodded.

Senya was, she admitted, fascinated with the captain. Valkorion was a part of her, even if she'd said she couldn't just call him up and talk to him. Senya was instantly transported, to a time when she and the former Eternal Emperor were lovers, partners in everything. He was not the unfeeling, unloving, unjust figure that Lana thought, she mused. He was everything to me, for a very long time. She could almost hear his delighted laugh, the one he'd used when she'd voiced her opinions. He liked that I didn't compromise my integrity, even for him, she thought. And now, we're against our own creations. Senya sighed, and forced her mind to the present, afraid to get too bogged down in the memories.

Corso navigated the small shuttle down through the vegetation toward a drainage pipe. He pulled up to the small step and turned to the women. "Be careful, both of you. I'll wait for your signal." He quickly kissed Miriah, and when she turned to him at the door, blew another to her.

"Love you, sugar. So much," she told him, and followed Senya to where Teeseven was waiting. "Let's see, little droid. You sure get around." She was answered by a series of beeps and whistles, and she thought for a moment that the droid actually blushed. She smiled and followed him, into the bowels of the planet.

After figuring out who to meet with about the Lady, Miriah and Senya made their way past groups of thugs to their leader, the Exalted. Miriah took one look at him, and knew they'd have to fight their way out of the room. As predicted, they did indeed have to fight, but in the middle, an emissary of the Lady appeared and told the Exalted that, under no circumstances, should he kill the Outlander. Miriah snorted to herself, she could tell by the way the man stood that he wasn't going to comply. He left, with his primary minions, and those who remained were rapidly dispatched. Senya had seen where they'd gone, and they followed.

By the time they'd fought their way into the penthouse suite, they saw the Exalted being held high off the floor by the shiniest droid Miriah had ever seen. They stopped short, listening to their exchange. When the Lady had heard enough, she killed the Exarch, and nodded to his son, who'd conspired against his own father. When the young man had been dismissed, the droid turned to them. In a female voice, she told them her name was SCORPIO, and that she had decided to join them on the Gravestone. Miriah stood, speechless for a moment. When she did speak, she asked, "Why do you want to communicate with an ancient ship?"

SCORPIO replied, "I want to communicate with something that has at least a chance to rival my own intellect." Senya looked at Miriah and held her hands open, a gesture of "why not?" Miriah nodded and saw that the droid was giving her the once-over. "Not exactly as I thought, but close enough," the mechanically enhanced voice stated. Miriah just stared into the glowing eyes before turning toward the elevators.

Miriah keyed her bracer com. "We're on the way, sugar. Meet you at the pick up point soon."

"Everything okay?" he asked, sensing something in her voice.

"We're fine, and bringing the Lady of Sorrows with us," she said, and killed the link, not wanting to stay in a live feed for too long. When they reached the shuttle, and were settled aboard, she turned to Corso's inquiring eyes.

"She's a little scary," he whispered, and Miriah agreed. The trip back was silent for the most part, but not in a bad way. Senya was lost in her thoughts, and Miriah was watching SCORPIO out of the corner of her eye. She saw that the droid was running internal programs, not interacting with the shuttle or it's human passengers, and shrugged. Corso held her hand, and gently squeezed it from time to time.

When they'd docked at Asylum, they followed the droid onto the Gravestone, where she and Koth promptly got into a shouting match. "Hyperdrive. Nothing else," he stated firmly. SCORPIO told him that he was limiting what she could do with the ship, but he wouldn't be swayed. When the droid shoved a data spike into a port on the bridge, she seemed content to interface with the ancient technology and ignored everything else. Lana stood at Miriah's side.

"Things went well, then?" she asked.

"Pretty well," Miriah acknowledged. "How were things here?"

"Aric is working with some of the crew now, and Devin has had Koth following him around like an akk puppy, but all is well. Now that we have SCORPIO, we should have this old girl in better shape soon." They walked toward the open hatch. "I sense that feelings are more settled than they were when you left."

"I think so, too," Miriah said. "We were able to talk, get to know each other a little, and you know Corso. If a person can't get along with him, then I know there's a lot of issues."

As they parted for the day and the family gathered aboard the Dreamweaver, Miriah was glad to have everyone together. They had just sat down for dinner when the holo chimed, and when Devin pushed the button, Logan's image wavered and focused. "Mom! Dad! We got the coordinates, and should be there by this time tomorrow!" Miriah looked at her brother in law, and shook her head.

"Excellent news, Lo! Everything is good?" she asked, seeing Corso's broad smile.

"We're all great, can't wait to see you tomorrow. Won't stay long, about to jump." Miriah understood exactly what her younger son was telling her, and q uickly signed off.

"So, the entire family?" she asked Aric, noting his sheepish grin. He nodded, and Miriah sighed. She'd be happy to see them, but the vague feeling that there was a lot more to get through prevailed, and she pushed her plate away, her appetite gone.


	31. Chapter 31

Miriah felt her husband's even breathing and suppressed a sigh. She really didn't want to wake him, but she knew she was too worried to sleep. Her family, all of them, in a dangerous area. She didn't ask about Sarai and Calypso, but she felt sure they were on the ship as well. She turned and felt Corso's warm hands on her back. He didn't wake, but held onto her. Even asleep, he tries to help, she thought. She lay still, hoping she would eventually fall asleep. The headache that had plagued her since she'd been brought out of carbonite pounded against her skull, and she wasn't able to keep the sigh of annoyance inside. Corso never opened his eyes, but mumbled, "That headache worries me, darlin'. You're never free of it." He squinted his eyes open and reached over her, to the nightstand. "Good thing I brought these in here." He opened his hand, revealing the pain med injection he held there. Miriah considered, and nodded. Corso sat up and injected her, and when he'd put the device away, he lay back, pulling her to lie fully on top of him. He moved the heavy hair to one side, and his warm hands began to gently massage her, focusing on neck, where she had always carried most of her stress.

Miriah relaxed, her cheek on his chest, above his heart. The steady rhythm lulled her, and his hands slowed as he felt her drop into sleep. It's too much, he thought. All of this. Her slight weight felt good to him, and he fell asleep as well, dreaming of being at home on the ranch with her, in their porch swing.

Aric was having trouble falling asleep as well, but his thoughts were decidedly different than his friend's. He was picturing his wife in his mind, it had been almost three weeks since he'd hugged her last. I hate being apart, but the reuinion is oh so sweet, he thought as he cleaned their quarters. He was naturally neat, so it didn't take long, but it made him feel better that Maura would be coming to a dust and laundry free room. I wonder, should we take the Windwalker and leave everyone else on the Dreamweaver, he mused. He felt his body heat up at the thought of having his wife alone for a few days, but then reality filtered in, and he knew they'd have more to do than just love each other. Still, he thought, we will have some time. And with two ships here, we need to figure out security. He sat down at the small desk with his datapad, his mind instantly reverting to his military training.

Devin paced his quarters, but it was too small and he moved out into the main ship, his feet quiet but constantly moving. He had felt that his cousin and aunt were getting nearer, but it was another force signature that had him on edge. Mia was on the Windwalker. He'd wanted to have the chance to talk to his mom about his feelings, but Miriah had been so busy, he'd hated to put more stress in her path. He called on the force for calm, trying to quiet his mind. How did I let someone, who isn't family, get so close to me, he wondered. I am so confused by her, by her scent, her eyes- even her force signature stirs me, he thought. But I am a Jedi, how can I think like this? He finally dropped to his knees in the training room, and when he reached out to the force, he felt both light and dark calling to him. He closed his eyes, and let them both flow through him. When he opened his eyes again, he had a plan. With that, he returned to his room, and slept.

Corso woke early, and saw that Miriah was sleeping deeply still. He figured it was probably due to the meds, but at least it was sleep. He gently moved her to his side, rolling with her until he was sure she was still asleep before getting up. He got dressed in the fresher, and when he left the room, he drew the soft quilt up to cover her shoulder, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He went into the galley, pulling out breakfast items as he made caffa. When Aric joined him, rubbing his eyes, he merely handed off a steaming mug to the Cathar as he put together his breakfast casserole, one of the family favorites.

Aric took a large sip of his caffa, and sat down. Corso looks tired, he thought, but I know it's because he worries about Mir. He watched his friend cook, both of them silent but comfortable. They both jumped when the holo chimed, and Aric beat Corso to the lounge, where Maura's image came into focus. "Hey sweetheart," he said. "How far out are you?"

"Logan says about three hours. Anything we need to know before we request docking?" she asked, her smile covering her face at seeing her husband.

"No, but I'll send the security plan to your datapad. I'll let the portmaster know you're coming and where to send you for docking." She nodded her agreement, but the smile never wavered. "So glad to see you," he said, his voice softening.

"We're all anxious to see you guys, too," she said. "Sarai, Calyspo and Coleen are back on Dantooine." Aric felt Corso's relief, and took another sip of his caffa.

"That's surprising, but a good idea," he said to his wife.

"Caly is doing okay?" Corso asked.

"She's great," Maura confirmed, then glanced over her shoulder. "I'll sign off now, but we'll be there soon."

"Love you," Aric said, and saw her blown kiss right before the image winked out. He turned to Corso. "I am going to ask that they put the Windwalker on the opposite side of the port, so that if anything happens, we can go to one or the other ship."

Corso nodded. "Good idea. I admit I haven't though much about it, but I heard you say you have a security plan?"

"Absolutely. I'm not naive enough to think we're in the clear, not while Arcann is still looking for Mir." Aric saw the worried frown settle on Corso's face, and regretted his words. They moved back into the galley as Devin joined them, looking more settled than he had last night.

"Mom's not up yet?"

"No, and she didn't have a restful night, so I'm letting her sleep," Corso answered. "At least as long as she can."

Aric thought for a minute before asking. "She's having nightmares? Or just her insomnia?"

"It's that damned headache. Lana and Senya both think it's a residual from the carbonite poisoning, but when Maura gets here, she's getting scanned, whether she likes it or not," Corso responded. Devin took plates and utensils out of the drawers and by the time breakfast was done, Miriah came stumbling out of their quarters, her hair sleep scattered and her eyes not quite open. She walked like she'd been drinking, and before she reached the table, her knees buckled and she went down.

Corso rushed to her, but before he could kneel beside her, she was trying to sit up. "I'm okay," she said, and Aric noted that her speech was clear. "Just need some food and water." Corso turned worried eyes to his son, and they helped her to her feet. When she was seated at the table, Corso went to get her juice, and Aric made his way to the ship's medbay for a scanner. Miriah drank, and shoved her hands in her hair. Corso filled her plate and pushed it in front of her.

"Eat, darlin'. What else can I get you?" he asked.

Miriah smiled at him. "I'm fine, sugar." She took a bite. "Wow, that's good. I didn't eat much last night, and after the pain med, I guess it just overwhelmed me," she said. She continued to eat, and finally Corso relaxed enough to start on his own plate.

Aric returned and put the scanner on the table. "After you get some food in you, you're getting checked out, Spitfire. Can't have you going down in the middle of some of these meetings and rescues and such." Miriah grinned at her brother in law.

"I'm already feeling better," she said, and saw the frown line on Corso's forehead. She took his hand, and looked into his eyes. "I really am," she told him, before she pulled him in to kiss her. "Mags and Maura will be here soon?"

"In a couple of hours," he told her, kissing her fingers. She still looks pale, but at least she's eating, he thought. He looked across at Devin, and saw that his son had a faraway look in his eyes. Aric powered up the scanner, and stood to get closer to Miriah. When the lights and sounds had stopped, he grinned at her.

"Guess what?"

"What," she deadpanned.

"You have an ear infection, and that's probably causing the headaches, too." He hummed as he returned to the medbay. He'd pulled up the database and found the proper dose of antibiotics and returned to the galley. He put the pills in front of Miriah's plate, and sat down, pulling his caffa to him. "Now, let's talk about how to position the two ships so that we can get the maximum benefit, eh?" They discussed the security for a bit, and finally Miriah stood, stretching.

"I'm going for a shower," she announced, and started toward her quarters. Aric and Corso continued to talk, but Devin followed her, reaching her side in a few long strides.

"Mom, remember I told you I needed to talk?"

"Of course, sweetie. What's on your mind?" she asked, looking into his dark brown eyes.

"Mia." Just the name conveyed more than he realized, and his mother's smile turned knowing as she put her arm around his waist and led him to the sofa. "She's on the Windwalker. Mom, I don't know how to act around her." He fidgeted with his sleeve, not wanting to look into Miriah's eyes, afraid she'd see the depth of his feelings for someone he could never have.

"Is it 'I can't believe how great she is!' or 'I don't ever want to live without her in my life'?" she asked, but in her heart, she knew. Devin would never bring her up otherwise, even if he couldn't admit it to himself.

"I don't know yet. And I'm not sure she feels any of the things I feel," he said.

Miriah looked at her oldest son, seeing so much of his father in him. "Dev, she would be the luckiest woman in the galaxy, to have your love. I know you think that, being Jedi, you're immune, but son? You also have been taught that the dark side is bad, yet you harness it as easily as you breathe. You are your father's son, and you know how to treat someone you love. And I've seen Mia, she looks at you when you're not looking at her."

Devin's head came up, hope apparent on his face. "She does? I get all scrambled up around her, can't read her very well." Miriah chuckled and hugged him.

"Time is on your side, son. Show her what she means to you, she'll understand. Words are nice, but actions are even better. A very wise man taught me that, oh, about twenty eight years ago." She smiled and hugged him again, then rose and made her way to her quarters. When she had the shower running, she let the tears go. She'd only ever wanted her children to be happy, and was afraid that Devin would let the Jedi run his life. She was happy to see him give in to emotion, even if it confused him.

They were all on the docks at the port to see the Windwalker dock, and when the air lock hissed, the family poured out. Aric caught Maura in a hug, swinging her around, their lips locked on each other. Mags ran to Miriah and hugged her. When she pulled back to look at her baby sister, she frowned. "You've started meds for that ear, right?"she admonished, making Miriah laugh.

Miriah turned in time to see Devin meet Mia, their hug chaste but both their force auras flaring a bit. Mags sighed beside her. "Does he realize it yet?" she asked, and Miriah smiled again.

"He's getting there," she said, arm in arm with her sister. Maura joined them, and they hugged again.

Off to the side, Aric, Corso and Felix stood with Logan. "So we're set on patrols and such?" Logan asked.

"No need," Aric said. "We have an HK model for Miriah's personal security, and several other droids posted around. As long as no one wanders off, we should be fine here."

Lana watched the family congregate, Senya to her side. "They are together, that makes them stronger," Senya observed. Lana nodded, and turned to go inside the ship. Before she reached the ramp, she turned back to see Miriah hurrying toward her.

"We're having dinner on the Windwalker. You and Senya, join us, okay?" Lana could only nod her assent, but the rush of feeling threatened to overwhelm her. She smiled, and for the first time that day, felt hope.


	32. Chapter 32

Miriah let her eyes roam around the group aboard the Windwalker. She and her sisters had cooked a massive amount of food, and the men had all set up the table and offered to clean. Mags sat with Felix and Ian, Maura with Colin and Aric. She rubbed tired eyes, but was grateful that everyone was there. Logan sat on one side, Corso on the other, with Devin and Mia across from her. Lana sat on one side of Devin, Senya next to her. They both seem to be enjoying the chaos, she thought. She felt Corso's gaze on her and turned to him. "When everyone is done, go relax, darlin'. You never know when you'll be called to go fight again." She looked into his eyes and saw his uncertainty, his unease, and felt the pounding in her head again. She tried to reassure him with a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. She knew battle was coming, with every fiber of her being.

Corso saw past the surface and gently rubbed his wife's neck. I'd do anything to take her away from this, from here, he thought. He glanced at Devin, and saw that his son had felt the emotions. Mags had as well, he realized, as she stood to walk behind Miriah. He saw the flare of light side force, and felt Miriah relax against him. Mags bend down and whispered something to her sister, and Miriah stood. Corso stood with her, following her to the lounge area. Before she sat, he held her close. "I love you, darlin', so much. Try and rest," he told her, stroking her hair. She lifted her face for a kiss, which sparked and fizzed between them, before breaking it with a sigh.

"I love you, too," she replied, and made herself comfortable on the sofa. Maura and Mags joined her there. "Okay, tell me what's going on at home," she said, putting a small pillow behind her neck.

"Calypso is doing great, she and Mom have really become best friends. They garden and shop, she seems to be just fine. I don't even feel any anxiety from her," Mags said, putting her stocking feet on the low table. "Everyone else is fine, the ranch is smooth." Miriah nodded and closed her eyes. "I'm more worried about you, Mir."

"That seems to be the running theme," Miriah smirked. "You and Corso should start a club or something."

"Don't be snarky," Maura chastised. "We all love you, and it's obvious that something isn't right with you." She saw her sister sigh and frown.

"I just can't get rid of this headache. Some days it's not as bad, but it's never gone completely." Miriah adjusted the pillow and tried to even her breathing. "Lana thinks it's the carbonite."

"It's possible," Mags said. "Can I look?" At Miriah's nod, the light that always surrounded Magdalane's body intensified, burned brightly for a minute, then slowly faded. As it did, Miriah felt the pain recede, then vanish.

"Oh, Mags, why didn't I ask you weeks ago?" Miriah cried out, her face finally fully relaxed.

"It's only temporary, Mir. The cellular decay of five years just takes time to clear from your body, not to mention the poison of the gasses. At least, I can give you a little reprieve." Miriah opened her silver eyes, and gratitude shone clearly from them. "You're welcome."

"So what's going to happen here?" Maura asked. "I mean, what has happened in the past few days, and what's the next step?"

"We've managed to get a good bit of help with the Gravestone, and currently, repairs are still in progress. Now, we're waiting on parts for some of the more unusual devices, but all in all, it's the biggest weapon we have against Arcann and the Eternal Empire."

"So, being here, with that ship, makes this whole place a target?" Mags asked, her voice calm but her mind spinning.

"Exactly. Which is why you all need to go back to Dantooine," Miriah said. Her eyes were still closed, so she didn't see the reaction of her sisters, but she felt the force of their words when they responded.

"You think we're going to just leave you here to fight alone?" Maura asked, and her voice, although normal in volume, held the disbelief and derision that Miriah had expected.

"That's not going to happen." Magdalane's voice was steel, and Miriah knew that her sisters would go through anything with her.

"I know," Miriah said with a sigh. "But I don't want anyone else hurt. Arcann is powerful, Vaylin is insane, and their mother is with us." She explained about Senya and Valkorion, to their gasps of horror. The girls grew quiet, and Mags realized Miriah had fallen asleep, so she motioned to Maura and they joined the rest of the family in the dining room.

Lana watched the group, and felt the thread of worry that never left her. Her force sensitivity made her aware that the overall aura of Asylum had changed, just in the past few hours, but she wasn't able to detect what it was. She glanced over at Senya, who was talking with Aric and Maura, and wondered. Wondered how they'd gotten here, how the whole galaxy had fallen prey to Arcann, and what they were going to do to stop him. She sighed, and felt Devin sit beside her. "I know, I feel it too," he said, and she shot him a surprised look.

"I wish I could tell exactly what is happening, but there's too much going on here," she admitted. They sat in silence for a minute, each pursuing their own thoughts, when Devin sighed.

"I'm glad you and Senya came tonight, we all need a little down time," he said with a grin. "Mom was happy, and Mags helped her headache, so at least whatever is coming, she'll be a little more rested." Lana nodded, she'd been worried about the captain for weeks now, seeing how she would shake off the pain and soldier on, no matter what. It didn't seem to affect her aim or her quick decision making, so Lana had allowed her to say nothing.

Senya and Lana had gone to the Gravestone, and Logan and Elara were staying on the Windwalker. Corso lifted his wife in his arms, and she barely opened her eyes before closing them again. The HK droid was vigilant, escorting them to the Dreamweaver. When they arrived, and the droid was satisfied that the ship was secure, Corso gently placed Miriah in their bed. She didn't wake, and he let out the breath he was holding. He went into the galley for a snack, and sat there, reading, hoping Miriah would be able to sleep all night.

Devin and Mia walked around the darkened dock, not speaking, but not uncomfortable. When they reached the Windwalker again, Devin turned to her. The faint light caught her hair, making the platinum strands glow. He started to speak, then stopped, taking a deep breath. Before he could get his nerve up again, Mia put her hand on his arm. "I know," she said. "I also know that as Jedi, you are aware that this atraction can only be that." Devin blushed, and looked up into the night sky. "We have a purpose here," she whispered. "One that cannot suffer distractions." He nodded then, and put his hand over hers.

"I've been taught all my life that love is more powerful than even the force," he managed to say. "The Order is not as it once was, we find ourselves on the brink of a new Order." He saw her eyes dilate quickly, and felt a measure of relief. He leaned into her and kissed her cheek. "Never say never, that's Mom's motto. Rest well, Mia." With all the willpower he could gather, he turned and made his way to the Dreamweaver, a little more hopeful of their future than he'd been earlier today.

Aric and Maura had enjoyed their time together, and Maura lay across her husband's body as he stroked her back. "My stars, I'm glad you're here," Aric told her.

"I can tell. I've missed you, too, hon." She turned her head to look at him then, and saw the slight frown line on his forehead. "What's worrying you now?"

"Just, I don't know, a general feeling that something is up," he admitted, pulling her up to plant kisses on her neck. "It's been tough to watch Spitfire go through all of this in pain. And Corso, man, he's determined to try and keep her safe. It'll be better now, with you all here. Maybe we can do more to further the cause." He was distracted with his wife in his arms, and let the worry go, focusing on her.

Corso finished his shower and pulled on some soft pants to sleep in. He'd checked on Miriah before he'd gone in and saw that she was still sleeping. He slid between the soft sheets gently, hoping she'd stay resting. She turned toward him, settling her head on his shoulder, but didn't open her eyes, and he was asleep instantly, for once not worried about her.

Early morning found Miriah planting kisses along Corso's jaw. "Morning, darlin'," he mumbled, moving his head to capture her lips with his. He could feel her desire, but it had an edge to it, and he frowned at her.

"Just love me, sugar. I don't know what today will bring, but it already feels bad. I need you," she whispered, raw emotion in her voice. He felt her shiver as he slipped her shirt over her head, and wrapped her in his arms. Her usual cries during their lovemaking were subdued, and even though they pleased each other, when they were done, Corso realized she was crying.

"Mir, what's wrong? What do you feel?" he asked her, drawing her close.

"For the first time since this all started, I feel vulnerable," she told him, sniffing. "I just want you to know that you are the only man I've ever truly loved. If something happens today, I don't want to leave this life without you knowing, without a doubt, that you are my world." She buried her head against his chest, and he felt her tears warm against his skin.

"Shh, my darling. You are not going anywhere, not without me. I love you, Mir, more than my life," he told her, and as he held her, he felt her tears slow and then stop, but he didn't let go. They stayed there for a while, drawing comfort and strength from each other.

When they finally came out of their quarters, everyone was gathered in the lounge. Miriah knew she looked terrible, but everyone chose to ignore her puffy eyes and stuffy nose, and instead served them breakfast. Amid the chatter and movement, Corso found her hand, and held it tightly, trying to infuse her with love.

Midday, they saw HK appear at the doorway. "Statement: the Captain has been summoned to meet with the Scion leader. I will accompany her."

"No, she's not going without me," Corso declared, and stood, grabbing his own sidearm. Miriah stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"After last time, I really don't think he's looking for a rematch," she said, remembering their earlier meeting and subsequent trial. "And he insists on me coming alone. HK will be fine, sugar." She looked into his eyes and saw the concern there, but she knew she was right. "Ask Senya, she can tell you I'll be fine now." He continued to hold her gaze until she moved into him, kissing him deeply. "I promise I'll be careful," she whispered, finally seeing him nod. She stood and checked the power pack in her blaster, and joined HK in the doorway.

"I'm counting on you, HK," Corso said, walking to the airlock with them. When they'd exited the ship, he turned to go find Devin. He didn't have far to go, since Devin was hurrying up the hallway.

"Mom left?" he asked, panic on his face. "She shouldn't have left, Dad."

"HK was taking her to another meeting with that Scion guy," he said. "What do you feel?"

"I'm following them," Devin said. "I can cloak in the force, but I have to know she's okay." Corso agreed and hugged his son before he left.

Miriah felt Devin as he drew near them, but didn't alert the droid. _I'm here, Mom. Just in case,_ she heard in her mind, and gave a slight nod. Just having him behind her gave her confidence, and when they neared the door to the sanctuary, she stopped long enough for him to catch up. "Here goes nothing," she muttered, and saw the door slowly open.


	33. Chapter 33

_You cannot defeat him without my help._ Miriah heard the familiar voice, and realized she was losing the battle, but called on all her reserves and firmly shook her head no.

An hour ago, she'd been sitting next to Corso, enjoying being near him, when she'd been summoned. When she arrived, she'd seen Heskal, but hadn't seen Arcann. They'd fought, hard, and when the attack came from the Eternal Fleet, and they both had to duck debris, she'd lost him. Now, as she'd reached the spire to allow the Gravestone to escape the docking clamps Arcann had locked down, they'd engaged again. And again, Valkorion had offered his infinite power to defeat his son. Miriah steeled herself, and took cover against another onslaught.

Aric looked up as ships that were docked around the Windwalker took flight, all leaving the area, and knew something was going on. He turned and yelled to Maura and Magdalane, "Get aboard, now! Go!" Maura gave him a look, but she saw his face and responded, and saw Felix and Logan running toward them. "Get this vessel in the air, Logan! Go to the safe spot!" Logan nodded, his face pale as he ran up the ramp. Aric took his sidearm out, wished for his cannon, and started across the dock to the Dreamweaver.

Corso heard Aric's shout though Logan's comm, and ran for the bridge, keying his own. "Miriah is still out there, and so is Devin," he shouted, hitting the preflight engines as he entered.

"Let's at least take off, we can hover on the outer…. What the kark is that?" Aric's voice held dread, and Corso looked to his left as the fleet materialized in the sky above Asylum.

"That is something not good," Corso replied, as he heard his friend stomping up the ramp. They lifted the Dreamweaver off the deck and took her to the far side of the floating refuge, seeing the destruction before them.

"The Gravestone is caught in the docking clamps," Aric said, his voice soft. Corso saw what he meant, and took a moment to think.

"If I know Mir, and I do, she's trying to get those clamps off," he said. "Where would that happen?"

Aric looked at the structures around them, seeing nothing that looked like a command center. "I'm not sure," he finally said. He saw Corso activate the ship's comms.

"Lana, what's happening?" he asked, hearing close range blaster fire before she answered.

"It's Arcann and Vaylin, they're here! Senya is holding Vaylin off the Gravestone, but we're stuck. Miriah is on her way to the spire to release the docking clamps!" Corso went pale when he heard what Lana said, but he managed to keep his wits about him. He glanced over at Aric, who pointed in the direction of the large arm that curved out over the dock.

Miriah quickly replaced the power pack in her blaster, thankful to Corso for reminding her to always have extras. She saw Arcann advancing toward her, his lightsaber dancing in front of him, a sadistic twist to the half of his face that she could see. She squeezed off two plasma bolts and did a dive roll to the other crate for cover. Angrily, Arcann force pushed the crate away, and suddenly Miriah's trusty blaster, who'd been with her for a long time, misfired. Unable to fire it, she instead threw it at Arcann, and heard his cruel laugh.

"At last, I will be finished with the Outlander," he said, his hate evident in every word. Miriah was aware of the doors swishing open behind her, but her focus was on her enemy. She dodged his thrust once, but the second one impaled her right side, momentarily paralyzing her. When she was able to clear her vision, she saw her son in the doorway.

NO! Devin thought, and before he could stop himself, he launched his body toward his mother's attacker. Arcann glanced up and, in surprise, took a few steps backward. Devin landed, and felt the dark force fill him. Miriah felt the molecules of the room shift with Devin's pull of force, and saw her son covered in dark red and purple. With barely a flick of his hands, Devin sent Arcann flying off the platform, and in an instant, he was himself again, reaching to gingerly pick Miriah up from the floor.

Miriah knew that lightsaber wounds were deceptive. The intense power cauterized the edges of the wound, so there was little bleeding, but the internal damage went unseen and was far more involved than the local area. When Devin picked her up, she groaned, and he apologized. "The clamps are disengaged," she manged to puff out around the pain. "We need to get out of here." Devin nodded at her and, cradling her as best he could, set off at a run, aided by the force. They were on the outside platform quickly, and Devin took a moment to look at his mother.

She was pale, and in intense pain, he could tell. "Hang in there, Mom," he told her. She nodded, her lips a thin line. When he heard the Dreamweaver approaching the platform, he lifted her again. "I promise, I've got you." Miriah had closed her eyes, and he wasn't sure if she could even hear him, but he made the solemn vow anyway. He saw the ramp slowly lower, and his Uncle Aric at the opening. He took a few steps back, gathered force around them, and with Miriah in his arms, leaped onto the hovering ship.

"They're aboard," Aric called out, and slapped the ramp's controls with his hand, his other arm around his nephew. Devin recovered his balance and made his way to the medbay. When he placed Miriah on the bed, the monitors sprang to life, spitting out numbers and readings. "Cor, head to the designated safe spot, that's where Logan will be with our healers."

"Roger that, but why do we need healers?" Corso asked, but got no answer. He pushed aside the gnawing feeling in his gut and got the ship ready for light speed.

"Did the Gravestone get out?" Devin asked, never taking his eyes off his mother.

"They hit hyperspace about the time you came aboard here," Aric told him. "What does all this mean," he asked, pointing at the monitor.

"Nothing good," Devin answered, and pulled the computer station to him, keying in "lightsaber injury" to see what he could find. When the proper protocol came up on the screen, he sighed. "Maybe I should have studied healing instead of fighting," he said. They heard the slight change in engine pitch when the hyperdrive engaged, and prepared themselves for Corso's arrival. He didn't disappoint, bursting through the medbay door at a dead run, stopping short when he saw her.

"Arcann?" he asked, getting a nod from Devin. "Is he still breathing?"

"I pushed him off the spire ledge, so I'm not sure, but if he is, at least now he knows he's met his match." Devin hung his head, afraid his dad would be upset with him, but Corso put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You did just fine, son. Now we have to figure out how to get Mom stable until we reach the others." Corso pushed the black hair off his wife's pale face, and saw that she was breathing normally. "Kolto tank?" he asked, seeing the computer screen.

"This says no, but she does need medical attention. The scanner says she has internal damage and bleeding, but that it's starting to stabilize. I'm afraid to do anything that might cause more damage, so I think we keep her comfortable and still until Aunt Maura and Aunt Mags can see her." Corso sighed heavily, and sat beside Devin, the situation beginning to sink in.

"We should rendezvous with them in about four standard hours," Aric said, turning for the bridge. "I've got this, just let me know if things change, alright?" Both men gave him a nod and he left, his own worries for his sister in law pushed aside for the moment.

"Why was Arcann on Asylum? How did he know where to find us?" Devin asked. "He's not as powerful as he'd like everyone to think, and when I saw Mom lying there, I went all dark side." He shifted uncomfortably, wishing he'd been able to do more.

"No idea, son. Right now, all I'm worried about is Mom. We'll figure out the rest later. I'm sure Lana has some insights." Corso stood and went to their quarters, returning with a very soft, very warm, lightweight throw. He tucked it under Miriah's shoulders before slipping her boots off to envelop her feet in the warmth. "She's a little shocky," he said, and lifted the foot of the table a bit.

"Dad, I'm so sorry," Devin said, but before he could say more, Corso stopped him with a look.

"You helped her, Dev. You got rid of the threat. She's always known, from the very start of all of this, that she'd be put on the front line. Without you there, she'd be dead right now. Instead, we still have her, and her injuries will heal." I got all those words out without breaking down, he thought. Even if they're true, I'm still terrified. He put his warm hands over the one of Miriah's that was outside the blanket, and closed his eyes. Please, darlin', hang in there until we can get Mags, he thought.

Lana had seen the force leap that Devin took, just before they launced into hyperspace, and was relieved. She could sense that Miriah had been injured but not how severely, and it worried her. She stood behind Koth, silent until she'd made up her mind. "Koth, go to these coordinates," she told him, showing him her datapad.

"Why?" he asked, glancing at the screen.

"The Outlander will be there, and she's injured," she said in a low voice, hoping to not alarm the others aboard. Koth immediately changed the ship's trajectory, his brow furrowed in worry.

"We'll be there in about five standard hours," he told her. "Any idea how badly?" Lana shook her head, and the worry lines in Koth's face deepened as he returned his attention to the Gravestone.

How many times have I sat here, hoping that Miriah's innate will to live would triumph, Corso thought. She's been through too much, in too short a time. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, but he knew he was kidding himself. Who would have thought, this many years after seeing her sashay down the ramp of her ship on Ord, that we'd still be dodging plasma rounds and lightsabers? He glanced at the clock on the monitor, and calculated the time left until they reached the meeting point.

Aric was at the bridge when Devin came up to check on their progress. "Logan knows where to meet, right?" he asked, the slight worry clouding his tone.

"She's going to be okay, Dev. About two hours and forty minutes, and yes, Logan has the coordinates." Aric patted Devin on the back before he sat down, and motioned for his nephew to join him. "What happened down there?"

"I followed her to the Scion temple, and waited outside. When I heard the explosions and all the debris started falling, I fought my way in and had to get past groups of knights. That was the first clue I had that things weren't what they were supposed to be." Devin ran his hands through his hair, and Aric thought of how many times he'd seen Corso do the same thing. "Mom and I met up, and she was fine. We started running toward the dock, when we got Lana's comm that the Gravestone was stuck in the clamps, and we needed to go to the spire to free it. We got there, and Mom asked me to stay outside to take care of Zakuul knights that kept rappelling in. Next thing I know, I feel this huge force spike, and I knew I had to get to her. It took me a little time to get the damned doors open, but just as I did, Arcann ran her through." Devin stood to pace, just recalling the scene made his insides jump around. "I could feel his anger, his utter revulsion. I leaped to him, between him and Mom, and force pushed him off the ledge."

Aric stood and stopped the young man from his pacing. "Dev, you did good. Really. She's alive, he's possibly not. That's a win-win." Devin heard the sincerity in his uncle's words, and let them soothe him. He breathed deeply and found his center, smiling at Aric.

Corso watched the clock and his wife, alternately. Finally, he heard the proximity alarm, and had hope. Magdalane would fix this, he thought, as he pressed a kiss to Miriah's forehead before going to the airlock.


	34. Chapter 34

Magdalane had paced the entire trip to the meeting point. She knew that Miriah had been injured, had felt the force jolt when Devin had unleashed his fury on Arcann, and had been anxiously waiting to drop out of hyperspace. When they did, and Logan announced that the Dreamweaver was very close, she went to the airlock and waited. When the ships were close enough to dock, she saw Corso's anxious face peering out of the other airlock, waiting for her. He's not crazy worried, she thought, so at least Miriah is stable. As soon as the light turned green, she opened the door and Corso followed her at a jog to the medbay. "She's been out?" she asked.

Corso nodded. "She's been just like this since they boarded." He moved to his wife's side, taking her hand in his, and waited for the light. Magdalane centered herself and Corso closed his eyes, burying his face in Miriah's hair. For over an hour, Mags worked through the force, and Corso stayed put, occasionally murmuring in his wife's ear. When Magdalane's force aura began to recede, Corso slowly lifted his head, keeping his eyes closed until he could no longer see the light through his eyelids. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Mags had a relieved look on her face, and waited for her to speak.

Mags had seen the damage and repaired it, but the injuries from the lightsaber would only completely heal with time. She opened her green eyes and saw Corso staring at her. "She'll recover, but not as quickly as she would have without the carbonite effects," she told him. "She'll be sore for a while, but at least she will recover. I'd expect her to be out for a little bit longer, a day or two." She saw the question on his face, and sent him a smile. "Yes, you can take her to her bed, but be careful with her clothes. The heat of the blade melted and fused some of the materials, and if it's stuck on her skin, let me know." Corso nodded and gently lifted his love in his arms, turning to take her to their quarters. Once there, he carefully removed her jacket and teased the thin shirt away from the charred evidence of her fight. The underlying skin was angry and red, making him frown. He finished undressing her and put one of his shirts on, so big that it barely touched her, but also stayed away from her side. When he was confident that Miriah was comfortable, he kissed her forehead, and said a prayer of thanks to the force for her healing.

Devin was waiting for him when Corso left their quarters, his head low. Corso slung an arm around his son's shoulders. "What's wrong, Dev?" he asked.

"I should have been there, prevented Mom from being hurt," he said, his voice soft. "I should have been the one fighting Arcann." He sighed deeply, but Corso turned to him.

"No, son. That's not how it works," he said. "Mom knew that she would have to be the one to face him, we talked about it this morning. She knew something was coming, and figured it had to be Arcann. She was aware, we both were." He led Devin to the lounge area, and sat on the sofa. "She's going to be fine. This fight was pivotal. It showed that the Eternal Empire is vulnerable. Trust me, son, she knew. It was a risk, but you know I'd always bet on Miriah. I'm thankful you were there, Dev, and got her away quickly. And that you tossed him." Corso grinned, seeing his son's face struggle to hold his own smile back. For the first time since he'd seen his mother with a lightsaber impaling her, he took a deep breath and felt his whole being relax.

"I was so afraid I'd failed," Devin replied. "I wish I'd known."

"If you'd known, then any force user might have. That would have been bad," Corso explained. "If Mags or Mia had any idea, then they would have been in danger as well. If I had a choice, I'd always put you and your mom against anything in this galaxy. Individually, you're both forces to be reckoned with, but together? Together, you're practically unstoppable." Devin blushed, but his father's words let loose the knot he'd been carrying in his chest.

Lana peered out the front of the Gravestone as they exited hyperspace. "There! Hard port, Koth." She picked up her holo and dialed the Windwalker. "Logan, permission to dock on your starboard side."

"Hi Lana, of course. Permission granted."

Lana grinned, and reached out with the force. She felt the residual healing in Miriah and finally smiled. "She's going to be okay," she told Koth, and felt his shoulders relax under her hand.

"Good to know," he said, and deftly maneuvered the large ship to dock with the more modern freighter. Once secured, Lana and Senya approached the air lock, where Maura met them.

"She's stable, healing. Mags took care of it," Maura said, leading the two into the center of the ship.

"She's really something," Senya said, taking a seat. Lana followed, and the C2 unit brought tea. "I am glad that the captain is doing well."

"How are you doing, Senya? It couldn't have been easy to fight your daughter like that," Maura remarked.

"Vaylin is never easy," Senya replied, "but she and Arcann must be stopped." Lana switched on the holo feed, trying to find news. She watched a few minutes, then excused herself to try and locate some of her contacts. Maura and Senya chatted, at ease with each other, and waited for news.

Aric saw Corso and Devin in the lounge, and joined them. "I'm going across to the Windwalker, and the Gravestone has docked as well. Any news?"

"Miriah is resting, so is Mags," Corso answered. "We just have to wait now. Mags says a couple of days, are we okay sitting here?"

"Should be fine, we're deep in uncharted space, but we know that Lana sent us here, and she's not led us astray so far." Aric stood and clasped Corso's shoulder. "Keep our girl on the recovery road, and we'll do the rest. I'll even help cook later." Devin rolled his eyes and laughed, Aric could make caffa and a mess, not much more. They watched as Aric went toward the air lock, whistling, and Corso stood to go check on Miriah.

Mags had tried to talk to Miriah through the force while she was healing her sister, but Miriah was too far into shock to respond, which worried Mags a bit. While she knew that now all the bleeding was stopped, she also knew that Miriah was weakened by her long carbonite sleep, and she worried. Worried that no matter what she did, her baby sister might not get better soon. She was tired after the healing, and wanted to rest, but she also wanted to make sure Miriah was truly stable. She stumbled into the hallway, and Devin saw her almost fall. He ran to help his aunt, and Mags held onto him until they reached the sofa.

"Aunt Mags, what can I do to help?" Devin knew his aunt was just suffering from the effects of force healing, but wanted to do something. When she didn't answer, he simply folded his hands around both of hers and did his best to infuse her with force. After a few minutes, he let the force aura fade, and saw gratitude in her eyes.

"Thank you, Dev. I wanted to see if Miriah was doing okay," Mags told her nephew.

"I just tried to reach her, but she's pretty faint. I know, she's recovering, but I'm a little worried, too," he told her. "Dad's with her."

"We'll try again in a bit, then. I'm going to stretch out here for a few," Mags said, and Devin covered her with one of the soft throws Miriah had stashed around the ship. Devin touched his aunt with force once her eyes were closed, and saw her drift into sleep.

Corso sat beside Miriah, her hand in his, and felt himself drifting as well. He stretched out beside her, taking her in his arms, the scent of her skin soothing him. Even after they'd discussed what she had sensed would happen, it was a shock to see her like this. He nuzzled the soft spot beneath her ear and closed his eyes. So many times, he thought. I hate this, this helplessness, the waiting. He had been afraid of her being injured, but she insisted that she had to face Arcann. He felt her snuggle into his body, craving warmth, and he pulled her into him, feeling her relax.

Aric and Maura sat on the bridge of the Dreamweaver. "I knew that Miriah had felt the battle coming. When Vaylin and the Eternal Fleet joined in, I think everyone was surprised," Aric said, his wife sitting in his lap. He was content with her in his arms, and she put her head on his chest while he gently stroked her arm. "She also had no idea where it would happen. Stars, I hate that she got hurt, again."

"I know, there has to be a limit to what she can take, but I honestly don't know what that limit is. She seems determined to continue to fight. I fear the toll it takes on Corso and Dev, too," Maura said against his chest. "Mags had been pacing the whole trip." They sat, taking comfort from each other before Maura stood. "I'm going to go start cooking. Round everyone up, okay?" She leaned over to kiss Aric's nose, but he pulled her in for a long kiss instead. When he stood, they hugged.

"Sure thing. I'll go see where Corso and Mags are, too." Aric crossed the short walkway to the lounge and saw Mags just sitting up from her nap. "Maura is starting dinner," he told her, and helped her sit. "Can I get you anything, Mags?"

Magdalane smiled and shook her head. "I'm going to go help, but first let's see how our girl is doing." They walked into the captain's quarters and saw them, and Mags had to smile. She reached out with the force, and checked her healing. "Miriah is on the mend, and she has the best possible care right now," she said, her voice soft. Aric let out a quiet chuckle, and they left for the Windwalker.

Lana had spent the day trying to determine the aftermath of what was being called the Battle of Asylum on the holonet. While the overall news was sparse, she was seeing multiple accounts of Miriah's fight with Arcann. The fact that she was not defeated was being openly touted as the beginning of the revolution, the freeing of the galaxy from Arcann's tyrrany. After seeing this, she doubled her efforts at reaching her people, and was only now getting some responses. She pulled up page after page of communication, all positive. She allowed herself a small smile, and rose to inform the others.

Devin helped his aunts with dinner, glad to have something for his hands to do. Logan finally got him alone for a moment, and inquired about the fight. When he'd asked his questions, he nodded. "How's Mom doing?" he finally asked, and Devin hugged his younger brother.

"She's going to be fine, but it might be a couple of days before she's awake much," Devin answered, and saw Logan relax. "Why didn't you ask that first?"

"Because I knew that if she weren't at least holding her own, you wouldn't be out here," Logan answered. Devin thought about that for a moment, and nodded. Logan was right, he thought. I'd be with her and Dad. He watched Logan join Elara at the counter, and for a moment wished he had that connection. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he saw Mia enter the room. Her eyes sought his, and when they met, they both felt the force shift, and Mia looked away first. Before he had a chance to cross to her, he felt his Aunt Mags put her hand on his sleeve.

"Go, and wake your dad. He needs to eat," she told him, and he nodded. As he went out the door, he felt Mia's eyes on him again, and had to grin, if only to himself. When he reached their quarters, he slowly entered to give his eyes a moment to adjust to the dim lighting. Corso was awake, but still holding Miriah close. "Aunt Mags said come and eat," Devin said softly.

"Every time I try, Mom starts to shiver again. I won't leave her here, cold and helpless." He pulled the blanket over her shoulder again. Devin looked around the room, but saw nothing really that might make his mother warmer than she was in his father's arms. He knew Corso would rather die of starvation than have Miriah suffer anything, so he nodded and turned. When he'd reached Mags and told her what was going on, she merely fixed up a plate of food and set off toward the Dreamweaver. When she arrived and quickly assessed the situation, she motioned for Corso to sit up. His confusion was evident on his face, but he shifted Miriah and slowly sat. Mags handed him the food, then covered Miriah with force light, and Corso could feel the warmth radiating from it. He grinned at his sister in law. "Thanks, again, Mags," he told her, before consuming the delicious food. When he finished, and Mags reached for the plate, he took his place again, full and content with Miriah in his arms. Tomorrow, he thought, she'll be awake, and we can figure out what comes next. He closed his eyes and dreamed of being outside, in green grass and trees, with Miriah by his side, smiling in the sunlight.


	35. Chapter 35

Corso had slept fitfully, off and on since Mags had made her last visit to check on Miriah. When he blinked his eyes open, he realized Miriah was making soft pain sounds. He sat up and reached for the injector, giving his wife the dose of medicine that Mags had left. He pulled the lights up a little and reached for the handheld scanner, powering it up and then slowly moving it over her. When the numbers stayed green, he put it away and started to dim the lights again when he saw tears glistening on Miriah's face. He cupped her face in his large hands, wiping her tears with his thumbs before gently kissing her cheeks. He murmured to her, telling her he loved her, and that she was with him, and that he wouldn't let her get in so much pain again. He wasn't sure if she could hear him, but he felt when the pain meds started to work on her, and he kissed her once more before getting up. It was still night, according to the lighting on the ship, but Corso knew he would stay awake for a while. I should have been paying more attention, he thought. I hate it when she's in pain. He ran both hands through his hair and went toward the shower.

Magdalane felt Miriah's pain through their force connection, and started to get up when Felix put his hand on her arm. "It's Miriah," she whispered.

"Corso is with her, hon. You know that," Felix responded quietly. "He needs to be useful, let him. If he needs you, he'll let you know." She sighed, and he rubbed her arm. "You need to rest, too." He pulled her down to lie beside him, feeling her relax against him. Mags knew Felix was right, but she worried. When she felt Miriah's pain ease, she was able to close her eyes again.

Devin felt Miriah's pain as if it were his own, and sat straight up from his deep sleep. He'd already dressed hurriedly and crossed the room when he felt her start to get relief, and he stopped, his hand on the door. He took a deep breath and went out, toward the galley, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw Mia on the other side of the sofa. "Are you okay?" he asked her, his voice quiet but filled with concern.

"I'm fine, I felt the captain's pain through the force, and wanted to be near, in case she needed me," Mia answered, rubbing her eyes. "I came earlier but she was resting well, and I decided to stay here," she pointed to the sofa. Devin heard her words, but felt the tug of attraction that was always present when they were this close. He took a step toward her, and when she didn't object, took another. Before he could even think, he'd closed the distance between them. Mia merely looked up at him, and he almost panicked before he recalled seeing his father caress his mother's face before gently putting his lips on hers. Unconsciously, he mimicked the gesture, and when he lifted his head, they were both breathless.

"Wow," was all Devin could say, and Mia blushed. Devin was considering another kiss when his father came down the short hallway. Instead, he took a step backward, giving Mia a moment to recover.

"Dev, Mia," Corso said, hiding his smile before going into the galley for a drink. Miriah called that one, he thought as he chuckled to himself. She'll be happy. He grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the cooler and retraced his path, which was now empty. He saw Devin standing over his mother as he entered their quarters, but didn't question his son about Mia. Instead, he sat in the chair at the foot of the bed.

"She was in pain, but I'm guessing you took care of that?" Devin asked, his eyes never leaving Miriah and his force aura wavering over her still form. Corso nodded, drinking. After a few seconds, Devin turned his gaze to his dad. "I know Mom told you about Mia," he said. "What advice do you have, Dad?"

Corso grinned and thought for a moment. "Follow your heart," he said. "If Mia's the one, you'll know it. Probably already do, if you're honest with yourself. Be honest with her, too." Devin sat on the floor at his father's side.

"I know, I've seen you and Mom love each other all my life, but there are obstacles.."

"Dev, love is a leap of faith. There are no guarantees, and once you make the leap, there's no net under you. But it's the most wonderful, terrific, terrifying leap you'll ever make. Even if it's only to crash and burn on the other side, you'll learn something about yourself." Corso put his hand on his son's shoulder. "I was so scared to tell your mom how I felt, but I knew I had to. I knew if I didn't, I'd lose the opportunity to be happy for the rest of my life. You've got time, son. Let Mia come to her own senses about it all, that's what I had to do with Miriah, too." They sat in silence for a while, until Corso felt his eyes getting heavy. He stood and held out his hand for Devin, who took it and stood. "I'm going to try and sleep a bit more, can you tell if she's still comfortable?" he asked.

"She's resting, not in pain," Devin told him after a moment. "Thanks, Dad." They hugged and Devin left the room while Corso slid under the blanket, taking Miriah in his arms again.

"I love you, darlin'. I'm here, so rest," he whispered to her, and took comfort in her even breathing and relaxed body. Just before he drifted to sleep, she grasped his shirt, only for a moment, but it made him have hope that she'd be back with them soon.

Maura and Aric were up early, and had started breakfast when Mags and Felix joined them. Elara and Logan were next, and by the time they sat down, Lana, Koth, and Senya had joined them. The mood was decidedly more relaxed than yesterday, and they kept up the banter while they cleaned up. Lana took a moment to approach Magdalane, and asked how Miriah was doing. "Better," Mags said, "she needed some pain relief last night, but today she just seems to be resting. She needs rest, almost as much as she needs to eat more." Lana agreed.

"Her constant headache is probably at least half that," she commented, seeing Mags nod. Lana waited until the clean up was done, and asked Logan to go get his brother and father. When all were gathered, she spoke. "I've gotten some interesting information since the Battle of Asylum. It's given hope to a galaxy that's had little in the past years. There's an alliance forming, of both Imperials and Republic citizens, that wants to fight." She looked around the room, seeing curiosity and a little apprehension. "They want Miriah to lead it." Corso looks concerned, she thought. Aric too.

"So, Miriah would be the commander of allied forces, put together to fight Arcann and the Eternal Empire?" Aric asked.

"That's it, exactly," Lana said, and the hope in her voice was plain. Her eyes were alight with excitement, and she could see that the others were coming to her vision.

"I could get behind that," Aric said, nodding slowly. "What do you think, Cor?"

Corso was silent for a few moments. "Well, I know she can do it. I know she'll probably think she should do it." He stood and paced a few steps. "I'll stand behind whatever she decides, but I believe she'll take the reins and lead the rebellion." He still didn't look exactly happy about it, Lana thought, but maybe he'll realize that this is the start of something great. She watched as he returned to Miriah, his head lost in thought.

Corso entered their quarters and sighed. Mir, you won't believe what they want now, he thought. Maybe, it's better to be in command than out in the middle of combat. Maybe, you'll be the glue for the alliance that you are for the family. He took her tiny hand in his and sat beside her. What if you get to be the Commander of Allied Forces, and be so in demand that you don't have any time for anything else? He sighed again, and knew he was getting ahead of himself.

Devin waited until the meeting had adjourned, and the galley area cleared, to approach Mia. She was sitting at the dining table, a cup of caffa in her hands. She looked up, and her eyes were so blue they appeared violet. He sat, not next to her as he would have liked, but across from her. She smiled at him shyly. "Your mother is doing much better today," she said. He nodded, unable to speak around the tightness in his chest. He recalled his father's words, and decided to be casual with her.

"She is, I think Dad is ready for her to be awake, but she is doing better, pain wise at least," he replied. He waited in silence for a minute, and then he looked up, surprised, when Mia took his hand.

"I am glad, Devin." She smiled at him then, and he felt that wholeness of being that Corso had told him about.

Logan and Elara sat together in their quarters, both nervous and excited. The medical device, which would tell them the news they awaited, hummed on the bed between them. "What if it's negative," Elara asked. "Will you be angry?"

"No, love. Not angry. We have plenty of time. But if it's positive? Elara, it will be such wonderful news!" They both jumped when the device beeped, and looked at the screen together. Elara couldn't contain her squeal of happiness, and Logan held her in his arms, both content with the results.

Corso spent the day with his wife, even if she didn't know it. He read and slept beside her, always touching her, trying not to worry about what was ahead but failing miserably. By the time the ship's lighting signaled night, Miriah was starting to move on her own a bit, making him relax about her health. He was asleep, holding against him, when she woke. After a few moments, Corso startled out of his sleep, shaking slightly, and realized she was looking at him. "Hey, sugar," she said, her voice low and weak. He sat up and helped her, turning the bottle of water up so that she could drink. "Oh, that's good," she said, closing her eyes again. He thought she'd drifted under again when she spoke. "How long, this time?"

"Only a couple of days, darlin'. Here, let me help you," he said as she struggled to sit up fully, wincing in pain as she did. "Easy there, you're still recovering. Do you remember what happened?" he asked her.

"Oh yeah," she whispered. "Dev was incredible." He was telling her what Devin had told him about the fight when he realized she had gone limp in his arms, and settled her again against the pillows with a smile. He kissed her forehead and went to the galley for some light food and more water, determined to get her well.

Morning found them all happy that Miriah was waking up more, and Corso was smiling. Lana had asked to talk to her about the alliance, and they'd agreed. When she sat in the chair beside the bed, Corso holding Miriah's hand, Lana explained about the battle and what had happened since. Miriah seemed shocked, and looked at Corso with a frown. "What does this mean? I thought we'd defeat Arcann, then go home to Dantooine. That won't happen if I accept this." She leaned against Corso's shoulder, her limited energy waning. He merely held her, rocking her slightly and rubbing her back. "I know, you are all counting on me doing this. Can I have tonight to talk it over with Corso?" she asked Lana, who agreed.

After the day passed, with everyone wanting to see and hug Miriah, they finally had time alone. Corso lay with her on the sofa, her body pressed into his. "I know, this will change everything," she said. He moved her hair aside and kissed her neck, feeling her shiver.

"It wasn't what we planned, but if we don't, and things worsen, you'll regret not taking the position," he told her.

"What do you want, sugar?" she asked.

"You. Us. As long as we're together, I'll back you up on anything, love."

"We need to find a safe place for Sarai and the rest of the family," she said, her eyes drifting shut. He felt her sleep, and knew she'd done too much that day. He stood and gathered her in his arms, taking her to their quarters. Tomorrow, they'd figure out how to make it happen. Today, she was recovering and beside him, and his world was, once again, whole.


	36. Chapter 36

Miriah blinked in the bright light of the Windwalker. She stopped, the pain in her side making her grab the bulkhead, unable to stand up straight. She'd come in search of Lana, and saw her friend's blond hair over the back of the sofa. She was attempting to control her breathing before approaching Lana, but the force alerted her target, and she peered over the back of the sofa.

She looks spent, Lana thought, and jumped to assist Miriah to sit. She's pale and shaky, and needs to be taking things easier. "Captain, you must allow your body to..."

Miriah make shooing gestures with her hands. "I know, I need to heal." She took in a few more lungfuls of air before continuing. "I should be resting, but this is important." Lana moved quickly to the galley and snagged a bottle of water from the cooler, returning to her friend with it. After a few sips, Miriah's speech was less ragged. "I need to know some details, before I make a decision." Lana nodded, she'd figured there would be questions. "Where do we go from here?"

"Well, we have several very reliable contacts who are looking to join us..."

"No, that's not what I mean." Miriah drank more of the water, and they were both startled with Corso burst into the room.

"Mir, what are you doing? You know you need to rest and not reopen any wounds," he said, concern heavy in his voice. Miriah gave him a weak smile, she knew he was right, but she felt she had to have more information.

"She wants answers," Lana said, and put her hand on Miriah's arm. "I have a place already in mind, where some people have started to gather. It's a planet out here, and it's unique. It is rich in the force, but perfectly neutral. I've already sent ahead to get it ready for you and your family." Miriah nodded, grateful.

"How do we get the rest of the family there?" she asked, and put the water bottle on the low table, her strength waning. Corso sat beside her, and she leaned into him.

"Koth and I are working on a way to throw anyone watching them off the trail," Lana said. "A series of planet hops along with a couple of ship changes should do it. They need to know what's going on, what to expect."

"Mags has been keeping Mom updated through their force link," Miriah explained, closing her eyes. She hated that she was so weak, but she knew Corso was there, and she felt herself sinking into him, her reserves almost gone.

Corso saw her fatigue and paleness, and stood, taking her in his arms. "She's just not up to this much activity yet," he said softly, seeing Lana agree with him over his wife's head.

"Where?" Miriah managed to say, and Lana shook her head.

"When plans are firmed up, I'll tell you. Until then, you'll have to trust that I will find the perfect place to keep everyone safe," Lana said. "Go, rest. I will have answers for you later today." Miriah nodded before Corso took her back to her bed. She was unable to even protest, and when he pulled the soft blanket over her, she sighed and felt sleep overtake her.

"She's trying to do too much," Corso said to Mags when he'd left his wife to sleep.

"Nothing new about that," Mags said. "But we have to let her figure that out. She's too stubborn to just accept her limitations, she has to push until she realizes what they are." Aric brought a tray of caffa cups and cookies, Maura following with the carafe. They settled around the treats, Felix and Devin joining them.

"Mir is resting, right?" Maura asked, seeing both Mags and Corso nod. "When she tells Lana that she'll lead this, we need to get everyone off Dantooine to somewhere safe." Maura frowned when Corso chuckled.

"She made it to the other ship to grill Lana on that very thing," he said. "That's where I found her. Lana said she'd have details for her this evening."

"Mom already knows what's coming, she's going to talk to Colin and Calleigh. Michi is staying put," Mags said, and her concern for her daughter and granddaughter showed on her face. Michi's husband had grown up on Dantooine and didn't want to leave it, and while Mags understood it, she longed to have them with her. Felix put a comforting arm around her, but his face was sad.

"She'll be okay, Mags. We're going to do everything possible to make sure all of the galaxy is free of Arcann's rule," Aric told her. He was reasonable certain the twins would be with them, since Colin had already stated he wanted to be part of the fight. Coleen was in school, on Nar Shaddaa, so he felt she was being cared for. Calleigh would be a valuable part of the medical team, wherever they landed. They hadn't noticed Logan and Elara had joined them, and when Logan spoke, he caught them off guard.

"I am going back to the ranch," he said, glancing at his wife. "We are going to have a baby, and I think I'd sleep easier knowing Elara wasn't in danger." There was a momentary silence before the congratulations started, and Corso's huge grin was the only thing Logan could really see. He'd been afraid that they would all be upset, but according to the happy sounds around him, he'd been wrong.

"Your mother is going to be over the galaxy," he said, hugging his youngest son. "We'd better go tell her now, though. If she finds out we all knew before her..."

"I know, I know!" Logan said, and rose, pulling Elara up with him. They made their way to the captain's quarters, where Corso woke Miriah with a kiss, and Logan made his announcement. Miriah reacted predictably with happy tears, and hugged them both.

"I am so happy for you both," she said, wiping her eyes. She hugged Corso last, and he could feel how quickly she had tired. Logan and Elara left to celebrate with the family, and Miriah struggled to sit up.

"Just be still, darlin'. I know you want to be healed, but you're just not yet." He pulled pillows around her and helped her recline before going to get water for her. While he was gone, she fell asleep again, and he left her with a soft kiss on her head. This time, he swore, he'd keep her safe and quiet until she really healed. Not like other times, when she would convince him she was fine when he knew her insides still hurt. No matter how badly Lana says she's needed. He nodded to himself to confirm his resolve, and joined the others.

By dinnertime, Miriah was feeling stronger, and joined the family in the galley. She ate little, but being with everyone made her feel better, and she smiled through the meal. When she leaned on Corso, he tucked her into his side and bent to whisper to her. "Ready for bed, darlin'?" he asked her. She thought for a moment, then declined.

"Lana owes me a destination," she whispered back, and Corso grinned at her. When he had Lana's attention, he motioned her over to where they were sitting. "Where?" was Miriah's question, and it brought a smile to Lana's usually serious face.

"Odessen. It's already being set up, and your mother and daugther and neice and nephew are already en route. It will be a couple of standard weeks before they arrive, but they will be there." Miriah reached out and pulled Lana in for a hug instead of trying to speak, and Lana felt the quiver in her muscles. She looked at Corso and saw that he'd felt it, too, and stood. "By the time we arrive, you need to be in command form. That means, you need to actively work on your recovery." Miriah nodded, and Corso helped her to stand. Once she was again in her bed, Corso sat beside her.

"I know you don't want it, but I think you need to go ahead and take the pain meds, darlin'. You need to rest, and I can tell you're in pain now, in your eyes. Please?" he asked. She nodded her consent, and when the injection was done, she sighed.

"Don't you ever get tired of it, sugar? Taking care of me?" she asked, her eyes already closed. He took her in his arms, ever gentle, and kissed her, taking his time. When he broke the kiss, she smiled.

"I will never, ever, get tired of loving you, Mir. And that means all of you, with the injuries and the stubbornness and the constant demands of everyone else." He kissed her again, and settled her on the pillows. He saw her relax and let out a breath. She has to get better, he thought. I miss her vibrant self, and hate that she's suffering. He took himself to the shower, and then joined her, hoping she would be pain free all night.

Later, Devin was lounging on the sofa, a Huttball match playing on the holo, the sound low. He had felt that his mom was sleeping deeply, and was half asleep himself. He was startled when Mia sat on the other end of the sofa, her pillow and blanket in her arms. "I wanted to be near," she explained, "in case your mom needed help in the night." She knew that Corso would be beside Miriah, and she couldn't lie to herself, she wanted the opportunity to repeat what had happened the night before.

Devin felt her true motivation, and hid his smile. He'd had trouble getting that kiss out of his mind as well, but he didn't want to make her nervous, so he stayed where he was. They watched in silence for a few minutes before he heard her sigh, and reached for her hand. She seemed to relax once he threaded his fingers through hers, and before he knew it, she was sleeping. He shifted her small frame to rest against him, and stretched out on the sofa. He fell into a deep sleep with her, feeling perfectly balanced and happy.

Corso woke early, anxious to get moving. They had planned to start their journey toward Odessen as soon as everyone had rested. He stopped on his way to the galley and stared at his ebony haired Jedi son lay on the sofa, with a silver haired Jedi stretched out beside him. His grin threatened to take over his face, and he was tempted to startle them awake, but didn't. Instead, he started the caffa and gathered a few things to take back to Miriah, hoping she was awake to share this news with.

Miriah woke and started to stretch, yipping when she pulled on healing flesh. She lay back then, rubbing her side gingerly. Corso found her wincing, but struggling to sit on her own. He let her get upright, and sat beside her, handing her some juice. He told her what he'd seen that morning, and she laughed, her eyes sparkling. There it is, he thought, and hugged her to him. He'd waited to hear that laugh for so many years after he'd thought she was dead, it was music to his ears. She molded to his body, content to be in his arms, happy that her family was near.

After breakfast, Miriah cornered Logan. "Son, I love you so much. I know you are doing what you believe to be the right thing, and I concur. So, I transferred the ownership of the Windwalker to you. Please, take your time going back to Dantooine and be safe," she told him, ending with a hug.

Logan held his mother tightly. "Thank you, Mom. I love you, too. Life seemed to stop when you were gone, and is just now feeling right again. I feel like I'm deserting you and Dad when you need me."

"No, son. You're taking the future generation to be safe, and I would have told you to do that very thing if you hadn't already seen it." Miriah turned to hug Elara then. "Take whatever you need from the main house, or even move there if you want. I don't know when we'll be back there, but you let us know when my grandchild will be born, and I'll be there. I promise." Elara couldn't speak through the lump in her throat, but nodded.

Devin cleared his throat. "Grandson, Mom. It's a boy," he said, unable to hide his smile. After the hugging and celebrating, the Dreamweaver undocked from the Windwalker, and Logan said goodbye over the com link. Corso watched his wife closely, knowing the emotions were the only thing keeping her going this morning. He helped her to the bridge, where she sat in the copilot's seat.

"You okay, my love?" he asked her, seeing tears in her eyes. She brushed them off her face as they fell, and turned toward him.

"Let's get going. I'm anxious to see this new place," she told him, turning to the nav computer. I hate us all going in different directions, she thought. But at least I'll see Caly soon. Odessen. The name sounds nice, she mused.

Corso leaned over to kiss his wife before engaging the hyperdrive. Lana had left a couple of hours earlier, and he didn't want to be too far behind. He leaned back in the captain's chair, watching the stars elongate and blur as they shot forward.


	37. Chapter 37

Corso stood outside the glass door of the shower, making sure Miriah was doing okay on her own. She'd been just sitting on the bench, but now she stood under the steaming water, working shampoo through her long hair. His breath caught and his entire body tightened as she stretched her left arm up. Even after so many years, she was beautiful in anyone's book, he thought, and then realized the problem. With her right side still sore, she was having trouble with her hair. In seconds, he'd stripped off the pajamas he'd had on and was by her side, his hands in her wet hair, but his mouth on hers. She returned his kiss, hoping for more since their wet bodies were sliding deliciously together. "You're still..."

"Shut up and kiss me," she murmured against his lips, before he'd voiced his concern. His mind might have had concerns, but his body surely did not, and they enjoyed each other completely before they exited the shower, the water only lukewarm by then. Miriah had a huge grin on her face until she started to pull clothes from her side of the built in dresser. "Oh no," she said with a sigh. "I have nothing to wear." Corso looked at her with a frown.

"Of course you do, darlin'. There's half a closet there with..."

"No, not for being a big shot fancy pants," she said. "My best set of leather armor is gone, and Arcann will eventually pay for that, but it leaves me with only the jacket that you don't like me to wear." The one she spoke of showed way more skin than he was comfortable with other men seeing, and he shook his head.

"Hang on," he said. "Let me see if anyone has any ideas." Corso went out into the ship, and found Maura. When he'd explained the situation, she shook her head.

"Anything I would have, would be two sizes too big for her on a good day, probably three sizes right now," she said, concern in her eyes. They looked up as Mags approached them, a large box in her hands.

"I need to speak to the Miriah," she said, and Corso took the box from her.

"She's in our quarters, facing a wardrobe dilemma," he said, and followed Mags down the short hallway. When they entered, Miriah had on her gray shimmersilk robe, and her hair, now dry, tumbled down her back in waves, and he felt his body respond to her again. Magdalane crossed to where she sat, and sat across from her.

"Lana had this made, when you were in carbonite, in preparation for a day like this one," Mags said, and opening the box, started to pull out black garments with dark gray trim. "This is a revolutionary fabric, it offers the same armoring as leather, but it's cloth woven with durasteel." Mags pulled out an entire suit of this new armor, and Miriah smiled.

"How do you know it will fit me," she asked, fingering the soft but strong fabric.

"She had your bioscans from the chamber," Mags told her, and had the grace to blush slightly. Miriah shrugged and stood, holding the top against her.

"I think it will fit, and it looks exactly right for today," Miriah told her, beaming. She left them to go try on the pieces, and when she emerged, Corso felt his heart kick. The black pants fit her well, and the black and gray tunic was perfectly cut. Magdalane took in and let out a large breath.

"You look like a commander, Mir," she said. "We should be landing in about three hours, according to Aric. Are you ready?" Lana had told her to have a few words prepared, and she'd worked on them between resting for the past two days. At Mags's question, she nodded.

"Even if I forget exactly what I wrote, I'll be fine," Miriah said. She sat to pull on boots, opting for a pair that was plain in decoration but fit the somber tone she wanted. Corso still couldn't pull his eyes from her.

"You look beautiful, love," he told her, tilting her head to kiss her. "Go, eat something. I'll be out in a few." She kissed him once more, lingering in it, before sighing and walking to the door. He watched her go, thankful that she seemed stronger today.

Devin sat at the table, pushing his food around. He was nervous, and trying to hide it. Miriah sat across from him as Aric brought her a mug of hot cocoa. "Thanks," she smiled up at him, and Devin looked at his mother.

"You look nice, Mom. Very authoritative," he told her.

"Thanks, Dev. You look troubled," she observed. He wore black as well, and had his lightsaber at his waist.

"Just a little uncertain about all this. Who exactly is already on this planet? I mean, we know nothing about these people. I don't think Lana would lure us into a trap, but.." Miriah put her hand on his, stopping his words.

"Just take it as it comes, Dev. I trust Lana, and while we won't know who's there until we land, we'll figure it out." Aric sipped his caffa, listening to them.

"I am looking forward to having more people involved," he added. "Seems like it's just been this small group for a long time now." Devin nodded, he'd felt that way since they'd found Miriah. "Maybe, just maybe, we'll have some real talent. Lana said there were military leaders as well as scientists and such."

"I'm only hoping for a shared goal, with some good ideas thrown in," Maura mused, joining them at the table. She'd brought a plate of food for Miriah, and thrown in a couple of pieces of chocolate.

"Hey! I didn't get chocolate with breakfast," Aric said with a grin. Miriah laughed, but she knew that anything she ate now would only make her uncomfortable. She hated public speaking, and hated even more being in the spotlight, but she knew that this was something she'd have to get over. Devin saw her hesitation.

"Eat something, Mom. I'll help if it makes you queasy," he told her, pushing the plate toward her. "I got a message from Logan. They're taking a few days on Alderaan before taking off again." That made Miriah smile, and she took a bite of the omelet. Not Cor's, she thought, but not bad. She took another small bite, and looked up to see her husband enter. Maura got up and brought breakfast back to her brother in law, and noted that they'd all dressed in their armor, gearing for the unknown.

When Miriah descended the ramp of her ship, she blinked in the bright sunlight. She inhaled the scent of trees and green, the air fresh and slightly cool. She heard Corso, on her right, do the same. "It's a little bit of heaven, this place," he told her quietly. Devin was on her left as they walked to where Lana stood.

"Welcome to Odessen," she told them, her smile relaxed and open. "We are all so glad you've arrived safely. Come, let me show you around this part, and then I'll take you to the command post." She guided them around where workers were mounting defense turrets into what appeared to be solid rock, and everyone Miriah met looked at her with awe and respect. She's being received well, Lana thought. Even if she and her two men look absolutely fearsome. She bit back a chuckle, Miriah flanked by her son and husband did indeed present an intimidating front. After Miriah made a short speech to the workers, to thunderous applause, she blushed, which made her all the more human, and endeared her to many there. Lana then took them to the upper level of the base.

Miriah looked around at all the activity, and realized that they just might have something great building. She had just turned to grin at Corso when she saw both him and Devin move in front of her, and she caught a glimpse of someone, a man in a red jacket, hurrying toward her.

Devin had pulled his lightsaber but not thumbed it to life when Lana put her hand on his arm. Corso's blaster began to emit it's high pitched whine when the approaching figure put both hands in the air. "Whoa, whoa. I come in peace. I'm an old friend of Lana's and, really Miriah, too!" he stated, stopping in his tracks. Lana confirmed his statement with a nod, and while Corso put Torchy back in his holster, his hand remained on the grip. "After all this time, it's nice to see you again," the man said, and Corso realized that he recognized the voice.

"Theron, you must realize that your usual abrupt mannerisms need polish," Lana scolded him. Corso and Devin relaxed, and Miriah moved forward to greet the former SIS agent.

"It's been a long time," she said, and before anyone could stop him, Theron hugged her. Lana felt both Riggs men tense, but Miriah merely smiled at Theron.

"It has, indeed. I've kept up with what was going on, through Lana, but it's wonderful to see you again," he replied, and turned to hold out his hand to Corso, who took it after a moment's hesitation.

"We've put together a little reception in the cantina for later," Lana told them, and Theron said goodbye. Lana took them to the command center of the base. "Here is where you'll be staying," she said. "We've put family all above the cantina, but for your safety, your secure quarters are here. This is where the guts of the planning and strategy take place," she told them as she keyed the lift. When they stepped off, they were in the main room of what appeared to be an extravagant bunker. Miriah looked around her, noting the technology and people.

After touring the large command center, and meeting the leaders working there, Miriah's mind was spinning and she was getting tired. Devin immediately felt it, and caught Lana's attention. "Mom is getting tired, and needs a short break," he told her. "She's better, but still somewhat in recovery." Lana agreed.

"Let me take you to your room, then," she said, leading them away from the military area. She went down a hallway and directly into a small apartment, complete with seating area and a droid who was cleaning. Corso led Miriah over and sat with her, while Devin pulled bottled water from the small cooler.

Miriah looked around at the room while she drank, and nodded approval. "It's fine, Lana," she said, in response to Lana's apology over the size. "Corso and I don't need much, just a place to sleep and a shower."

"Exactly," Corso confirmed. As long as I'm with Miriah, I'd sleep on these rocks, he thought. They sat quietly for a few minutes, and Miriah closed her eyes, putting her head on his arm. "Tired?" he asked her in a low voice.

"Yes," she confirmed. "I thought I was completely well, but maybe I'm not quite there yet." Corso fished in a pocket, and with a smile, pulled out a small bar of chocolate. Miriah grinned when he handed it to her, and kissed his nose. "You always surprise me, sugar." She unwrapped the treat and sighed as it melted on her tongue. When she could speak again, she gave him a sly look. "I will reward you appropriately later." Corso's blush made her giggle, attracting the attention of Devin and Lana. "Let's go to the reception," she told them, standing.

At the cantina, she saw Koth and Theron standing together, and Senya was at the bar, saying something about singing for them. They all laughed, and greeted each other. Maura and Aric were at a table, already beginning the celebration, Magdalane and Felix with them. Miriah saw Devin stand straighter, and didn't have to turn to know that Mia had entered the room. We're only missing those already on their way to us, Miriah thought, and hoped that Logan was being careful. She pulled Corso over to her sister's table, and they sat, enjoying the camaraderie and hope that suffused the room. Corso put his arm around her, and she smiled at him, content. Maybe we do have a chance, she thought.


	38. Chapter 38

The new story is "Allies", and I hope you'll continue the saga with me! Thanks so much for being on this journey!


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